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T.I  B  RAR.Y 

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®-  -THE-  -®. 

LIFE  AND  LABORS 


OF- 


Founder  of  the  Free  Baptist  Church 
in  Southern  Illinois    ..../..... 


TOGETHER  WITH 


PICTURES  AND  SKETCHES 


— OF- 


One  Hundred  Other  Free  Baptists, 
Dead  and  Living 


—BY- 


REV.  GEO.  A.  GORDON, 

Campbell  Hill,  Illinois. 

J90J. 

(Copyrighted  1900  by  REV.  GEO.  A.  GORDON.) 


Yours  truly, 

REV  H.  S  GORDON. 


PREFACE. 


PREFACE. 


o- 

Fifty  years  ago  Rev.  H.  S.  Gor- 
don, familiarly  known  as  "Uncle 
Henry,"  organized,  near  where 
Campbell  Hill  now  stands,  the 
Looney  Springs  Free  Baptist 
Church,  the  first  church  of  what 
is  now  known  as  the  Central  Illi- 
nois Yearly  Meeting  of  Free  Bap- 
tists. That  this  work  was  of  God 
and  has  been  blessed  of  Him  is 
certainly  evidenced  by  the  results 
accomplished  and  the  fruits  borne. 

In  fifty  years  this  movement  so 
small  in  its  beginning  has  grown  to 
considerable  proportions  till  at 
present  our  yearly  meeting  is  com- 
posed of  five  quarterly  meetings, 
as  follows :  Looney  Springs,  Leba- 
non, Franklin  Co.,  Wayne  Co.,  and 
Makanda,  with  fifty-four  ministers, 
fifty-six  churches  and  four  thou- 
sand members. 

The  official  organ  of  the  Y.  M. 
is  the  Illinois  Free  Baptist,  edited 
and  published  by  Rev.  G.  A.  Gor- 
don at  Campbell  Hill,  111. 

Rev.  H.  S.  Gordon  died  January 
loth,  1898,  after  watching  the 
growth  for  forty-eight  years  of 
this  vine  that  God  through  his  in- 
strumentality had  planted. 

While  living  his  counsel  and 
help  was  sought  by  his  sons  in  the 
Gospel  and  ministry  and  never 
sought  in  vain. 


Since  his  departure  from  us  we 
have  asked  many  times  how  can  we 
most  fittingly  honor  him  and  com- 
memorate his  life  and  deeds? 

The  honor  paid  to  kings  and 
nobles,  a  marble  shaft,  would  be 
insufficient,  for  that  would  appeal 
only  to  passers  by. 

But  desiring  to  do  something 
that  shall  be  more  in  keeping  with 
the  life  of  him  whom  we  desire  to 
honor,  more  far-reaching,  uplift- 
ing, ennobling  and  God-honoring 
among  men  than  shafts  of  brick  or 
stone,  we  concluded  to  send  forth 
this  little  volume  containing  the 
portrait,  life  and  labors  of  "Uncle 
Henry"  Gordon,  written  by  his 
oldest  son,  who  for  32  years  stood 
side  by  side  with  him  in  the  sacred 
desk.  And  also  of  a  few  at  least  of 
the  many  who  have  been  helped 
either  directly  or  indirectly  into  a 
"life  hid  with  Christ  in  God." 

Praying  that  this  book  may  be  a 
God's  blessing  to  us  and  a  fitting 
tribute  to  him  we  lovingly  dedicate 
it  to  the  memory  of  our  beloved 
and  sainted  brother,  Rev.  Henry 
Smith  Gordon.  And  if  this  prayer 
be  answered  this  volume  will  be 
an  honor  to  Christ  for  He  said. 
"Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of 
the  least  of  these  my  brethren  ye 
did  it  unto  me." 

REV   A.  J.  RENDLEMAN. 


INTRODUCTION. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Of  making  books  there  is  no 
end,  (nor  need  there  be,)  and 
much  study  is  a  weariness  of  the 
flesh.  This  volume  need  not  be- 
come wearisome  since  it  eschews 
all  controverted  subjects,  deals  not 
in  theological  abstractions,  phili- 
sophical  deductions,  nor  ethical 
science,  but  is  to  give  a  brief 
history  of  the  life  and  labors  of 
Rev.  H.  S.  Gordon,  and  a  few  of 
the  men  and  "women  who  have 
labored  in  the  Gospel  with  us."  In- 
stead of  weariness  then  it  will  no 
doubt  be  "to  those  of  like  precious 
faith"  a  source  of  spiritual  strength 
and  helpfulness. 

It  is  difficult  for  those  of  one 
generation  to  grasp  clearly  the 
conditions  that  prevailed  in  a  form- 
er, and  the  material  changes  are  in 
some  respects  no  more  marked 
than  the  mental,  moral,  spiritual 
and  social,  especially  is  this  true  in 
a  country  where  primitive  condi- 
tions prevail. 

Some  things,  however,  remain 
forever  unchanged,  as  for  instance, 
the  old-fashioned  hope  of  immor- 
tality, and  the  energy  with  which 
certain  men  push  forward  into  the 
rank  of  world's  Messiahs,  willing, 
yea  anxious  to  be  smitten  by  the 
hand  of  ecclesiastical  bigotry, 
crowned  with  the  obloquy  of  the 
unthinking,  who  fail  to  sense  the 


force  of  a  principle,  nailed  to  the 
cross  of  public  censure,  and  laid 
in  the  tomb  of  official  displeasure, 
from  which  invariably  they  rise  in 
the  triumph  of  after  judgment,  and 
the  approval  of  a  redeemed  peo- 
ple. 

The  above  statement  is  made  in 
general  terms  without  special  ap- 
plication to  the  subject  of  this  me- 
morial book.  I  leave  the  reader 
to  judge  how  nearly  our  quiet,  un- 
assuming, scholarly  leader  came  to 
placing  himself  in  that  illustrious 
rank.  Your  temple  of  fame  is  full 
of  niches  and  you  may  place  him 
where  your  own  judgment  directs. 

In  the  beautiful  tribute  of  Oliver 
Goldsmith  to  his  father,  in  "The 
Village  Preacher,"  there  are  some 
passages  that  might  have  been 
written  for  Bro.  Gordon. 
"A  man  he  was  to  all  the  country 

dear, 

****** 

Unpracticed     he  to  fawn  or  seek 
for  power, 

By     doctrines     fashioned     to   the 
varying  hour. 

But  in  his  duty  prompt  at  every 
call, 

He  watched  and  wept,  he  prayed 
and  felt  for  all. 

****** 

At  church  with     meek  and  unaf- 
fected grace, 


INTRODUCTION. 


His  look  adorned     the  venerable 
place, 

Truth  from  his  lips  prevailed  with 

double  sway, 

And  fools  who  came  to  scoff  re- 
mained to  pray." 

This  book  is  created  to  fill  no 
"long  felt  want,"  nor  is  it  born  of 
sheer  necessity,  but  unlike  some  of 
life's  luxuries  is  in  reach  of  all ;  we 
send  it  to  you  in  proud  confidence 
that  it  will  create  its  own  place  in 
your  life  and  in  the  world. 

It  will  lie  on  your  table  in  silence 
and  not  complain,  or  it  will  speak 
to  you  oft  if  desired ;  it  is  our  trib- 


ute to  our  absent  friend  and  father 
who  "being  absent  yet  speaketh." 
For  one  I  shall  welcome  this 
book,  and  give  one  or  more  vol- 
umes a  place  in  my  library,  and 
then  in  after  years  if  "I  shall  live 
to  be  the  last  leaf  on  the  tree/'  it 
will  come  as  a  friend  of  former 
years  and, 

"Sweet  memory  wafted  by  thy  gen- 
tle gale, 
To  view  the  fairy  haunts  of  long 

lost  hours, 

Oft  up  the  stream  of  time  I  turn 
Blest  with  far  greener  shades,  far 
lovelier  flowers." 

REV.  J.  L.  MEADS. 


OPEN  COMMUNION. 


OPEN  COMMUNION. 


There  has  been  a  growing  senti- 
ment in  the  Baptist  Church  in  fa- 
vor of  free  or  open  communion  for 
perhaps  a  hundred  years,  but  that 
was  not  the  difficulty  with  which 
Benj.  Randall  had  to  contend. 

In  the  year  1780  he  was  called 
to  order  by  his  brethren  for  not 
preaching  the  doctrines  of  John 
Calvin,  he  had  considered  these 
doctrines  but  little  as  they  had  not 
been  in  dispute  in  the  community. 
He  was  now  called  upon  three  or 
four  times  to  answer  for  "his  er- 
rors." And  on  one  occasion  the 
debate  lasted  two  days,  on  the  last 
day  of  the  meeting,  the  leading 
ministers  made  public  declaration 
of  non-fellowship  with  Randall's 
principles,  to  which  he  replied  that 
it  made  no  difference  to  him  so 
long  as  he  knew  that  the  Lord 
owned  him.  Thus  -without  seek- 
ing it  Randall  was  driven  either  to 
stand  by  himself  or  to  accept  doc- 
trines the  odious  sentiments  of 
which  he  did  not  believe.  With  his 
characteristic  firmness  he  stood 
alone.  Thus  we  see  Randall  was 
disowned  by  the  Baptist  Church 
because  he  preached  "free  will" 
and  "free  grace,"  two  very  promi- 
nent doctrines  in  the  larger  Bap- 
tist Church  today.  The  Lord's 
Supper  was  not  a  question  of  dis- 
putation at  this  time,  and  not  for 


three  years  after  the  first  organiza- 
tion by  Randall  of  the  Free  Bap- 
tist Church,  but  when  it  did  come 
up  for  settlement  they  decided  to 
make  Christian  character  the  test 
for  admission  to  the  Lord's  table. 

In  1850,  Rev.  H.  S.  Gordon,  an 
earnest  consecrated  minister  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  preaching  under 
the  direction  of  the  Association  to 
which  he  belonged,  as  their  mis- 
sionary, with  a  heart  warm  with 
love  for  souls,  was  preaching 

"free  grace"  and  "free  will,"  and 
was  studying  more  earnestly  the 
great  question  of  how  to  lead  souls 
to  accept  Christ,  than  the  doctrinal 
dogmas  of  his  church.  And  God 

was  blessing  his  labors  and  as  a 
result  souls  were  being  saved  and 
churches  organized,  and  among 
the  number  organized  was  Looney 
Springs  (now  Campbell  Hill),  to 
which  he  was  called  as  pastor,  and 
at  their  first  communion  service 
the  church  members  asked  that 
any  of  their  neighbors  who  were 
accustomed  to  worship  with  them, 
might  have  the  privilege  of  com- 
muning with  them.  He  was  not 
committed  to  the  idea  himself,  but 
knowing  one  of  the  cardinal 
doctrines  of  the  Baptist  Church 
to  be,  that  each  individual  church 
has  the  entire  control  of  its  affairs 
without  interference  on  the  part 


OPEN  COMMUNION. 


of  any  external  power,  so  he  acted 
as  their  servant  and  gave  the  invi- 
tation as  they  required.  And  for 
this  he  was  called  to  account  by  his 
brethren,  and  charged  with  heresy. 
This  very  serious  charge  brought 
about  a  very  earnest  investigation 
upon  his  part  for  the  grounds  for 
such  charge,  and  as  a  result,  he  de- 
cided that  the  action  of  himself  and 
his  church  was  entirely  scriptural; 
and  thus  he  was  driven  to  take  a 
stand  that  caused  him  to  be  dis- 
owned by  his  brethren.  So  we 
see  him  confronting  the  same  diffi- 
culties on  the  communion  question 
that  Benj.  Randall  did  on  the  doc- 
trines of  Calvinism. 

Today  almost  the  entire  Chris- 
tian world,  including  the  denomin- 
ation from  which  Randall  was  ex- 
cluded, teach  the  same  doctrine  on 


the  atonement  and  its  provisions 
that  he  taught. 

And  Bro.  Gordon  lived  to  see  a 
church  in  Southern  Illinois  num- 
bering four  or  five  thousand,  hold- 
ing the  same  doctrines  which  he 
held,  and  that,  too,  as  a  result  of 
his  wrork  and  teaching,  and  also  to 
see  a  growing  sentiment  in  favor 
of  scriptural  communion  among 
the  leading  ministers  of  the  Baptist 
Church. 

And  it  is  only  a  question  of  a 
few  more  years  of  earnest  evan- 
gelical preaching  and  Bible  study 
in  the  light  of  true  spiritual  ad- 
vancement until  the  entire  Baptist 
Church  will  teach  and  practice  in 
the  main  what  Bro.  Gordon  taught 
as  they  are  now  doing  in  regard  to 
the  teaching  of  Randall. 

REV.  T.  O.  McMiNN. 


10 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


"GORDON.1 


The  first  Gordon  of  whom  there 
is  a  distinct  race  is  Richard  of 
Gordon,  who  was  Lord  of  the  Bar- 
ony of  Gordon  in  the  Merse  be- 
tween 1150  and  1160.  Alicia  IV 
of  the  Gordon  family  married  her 
cousin,  Adam  Gordon.  Their 
grandson,  Sir  Adam,  was  the  an- 
cestor of  all  the  Gordons  of  Scot- 
land, says  Douglas.  Robert  ist 
gave  to  him  a  charter  to  the  lands 
of  Strathbogie  (or  Huntley).  Sir 
Adam  Gordon,  in  descent  tenth  of 
Gordon  and  Huntley,  was  killed  at 


the  battle  of  Homildon  in  1402, 
leaving  only  a  daughter,  who  mar- 
ried a  Seton.  Their  eldest  son, 
Alexander,  assumed  the  name  of 
Gordon,  and  in  1449  was  created 
Earl  of  Huntley.  The  line  of  Hunt- 
leys  and  Gordon  was  warlike  in- 
deed. 

The  fighting  force  of  the  Clan 
estimated  at  1,000  claymores  in 
1715.  The  Earls  of  Aberdeen,  so 
created  in  1682,  are  descended 
from  Patrick  Gordon  of  Methlic, 
cousin  of  the  Earl  of  Huntlev. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


11 


THE;  OLD  FARM  HOMESTEAD  NEAR  PERCY,  ILL. 

Where  he  settled  in  18.S7  and  raised  a  family  of  10  children,  9 boys  and  1  girl,  with  but 
one  death  in  the  family  for  50  years.  This  building  was  erected  in  1863,  and  still  stands. 
Around  it  was  a  large  farm  of  about  400  acres. 


12 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


THE  REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON  MEMORIAL  BOOK. 


Rev.  Henry  Smith  Gordon  was 
born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Pa.,  June 
1 9th,  1816,  and  was  the  oldest  child 
of  Geo.  and  Nancy  Gordon,  who 
were  both  descendants  of  the  old 
Scotch  stock  or  family  of  Gordons, 
many  of  whom  figured  conspicu- 
ously among  the  Highlanders  of 
Scotland,  and  were  one  of  the  lead- 
ing clans,  some  of  whom  were 
quite  warlike  and  held  enviable  po- 
sitions of  rank  for  manv  centuries 
back  in  the  history  of  the  Scotch 
people.  The  family  from  which 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  immedi- 
ately descended  emigrated  to 
this  country  from  Scotland  in  1697, 
and  his  great  grandfather  was 
born  upon  the  Atlantic  Ocean  dur- 
ing the  voyage  to  this  country. 
This  particular  branch  of  the  Gor- 
don family  is  known  on  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic  as  the  Cumberland 
Valley  Gordons,  being  very  num- 
erous in  Pennsylvania  and  Mary- 
land. 

When  but  a  child  he  came  west 
with  his  parents,  crossing  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  at  St.  Louis  before 
they  had  any  ferry  boats,  but  took 
the  wheels  off  their  wagon  and 
took  the  horses  and  wagon  across 
separately  in  a  flat  boat,  making  a 
dozen  trips  perhaps  with  a  skiff 


and  flat  boat  to  get  the  outfit 
across.  His  grandfather's  name  was 
also  George,  and  he  had  gone  to 
Missouri  about  1800,  long  before 
it  was  admitted  as  a  state,  and  be- 
cause of  some  complicity  in  the 
rightful  ownership  of  a  number  of 
negroes  in  which  his  wife  held  first 
claim,  he  was  foully  murdered  one 
morning  on  his  own  door  steps  by 
some  one  in  ambush  across  the 
road  from  the  house.  The  accused 
was  the  first  person  ever  hanged 
in  Missouri,  and  in  St.  Louis,  un- 
der law,  and  that  was  territorial 
law,  in  which  the  oldest  son  had  the 
reprieving  power,  but  his  son, 
George,  then  a  lad  14  years  old,  re- 
fused to  commute  the  sentence, 
and  the  village  of  St.  Louis  wit- 
nessed the  first  legal  hanging. 
George  then  went  back  to  Penn- 
sylvania, grew  to  manhood,  mar- 
ried and  had  three  'children,  the 
oldest  of  whom  was  Henry,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  and  with  his 
little  family  was  wending  his  wax- 
back  to  his  early  home  in  Missouri. 
\Yhen  St.  Louis  was  yet  but  a 
little  French  village  with  not  a 
hundred  tiny  dwellings,  I  have 
heard  his  wife  tell  how  she  felt 
when  she  with  the  three  little  chil- 
dren were  set  across  the  river  and 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON 


13 


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14 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


the  skiff  had  gone  back  for  an- 
other load,  how  the  Indians  came 
to  the  bank  and  looked  down  upon 
her  and  the  children  with  their 
blankets  wrapped  about  them,  and 
paint  on  their  faces ;  before  the 
perpendicular  bluffs  had  been  cut 
away,  and  only  one  narrow  cut  in 
the  bank  to  provide  a  means  of 
exit.  The  family  located  back  of 
St.  Louis  about  16  miles  on  the 
Meramec  river,  where  his  father 
built  and  operated  for  many  years 
a  grist  mill  and  carding  factory. 
Here  he  grew  to  manhood,  learn- 
ing habits  of  industry  and  frugal- 
ity. He  became  in  time  a  practical 
miller,  an  engineer,  and  acquired 
some  education. 

At  the  age  of  19  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Rebecca  Young, 
in  1835,  at  which  time  his  father 
gave  him  100  acres  of  land  and  he 
began  to  improve  it,  but  finding 
this  a  very  slow  and  uphill  busi- 
ness he  sold  his  land  for  $1,200  and 
removed  to  Southern  Illinois  in 
the  year  1837,  locating  on  wild 
prairie  land  in  Short's  Prairie,  one 
and  a  half  miles  east  of  George- 
town, (now  Steelesville),  in  Ran- 
dolph county.  At  this  early  day 
there  were  a  great  many  difficulties 
to  encounter  and  discouragements 
to  face,  and  among  other  things  he 
lost  his  first  born,  a  little  two  year 
old  girl.  Another  soon  took  her 
place,  however,  and  following  this, 
three  boys  gladdened  the  home, 
the  oldest  of  whom  was  born  in 
1842,  while  he  was  attending 


Shurtleff    Theological     College  at 
Alton,  111.     The  daughter's  name 
was  Mary,  and  the  boys'  George, 
Henry  and  Parker.     And  in — 
1848,  death  came  and  took  his  wife 
away,  which  was  a  sore  affliction, 
and  brought  an  increase  of  cares 
and  responsibilities,     so  he   man- 
aged to  get  along  for  a  time,  car- 
ing for  a  part  of  his  little  family 
at  home  while  some  went  to  live 
with     their  grand     parents.     The 
youngest  was  taken  by  a  brother- 
in-law,    Capt.    Senica    Parker    and 
wife,  who  became   so  attached  to 
the  child  that  they  kept  and  raised 
him.     And  on  November  6th,  1849, 
he  was  again  married,  this  time  to 
a  Mrs.  Nancy  Hill,  of  Centerville. 
111.,  who  had  one  son ;  and  to  this 
marriage     was     born     five     sons, 
Abram     G.,  Noel  R.,     Charles  S., 
Edward  B.,  and  Ora  C. ;  these  with 
the  step-son,  Wm.  S.  Hill,  made  a 
family  of  ten  children,  all  of  whom 
they   raised   to   man   and   woman- 
hood, and  all  were  married  and  had 
homes,   and   for   fifty   years    there 
was  not  a  death  in  the  family  (ex- 
cept the  second  son,  Henry,  who 
died  in    1893),   from  the   death   of 
his  wife  in  1848  to  his  own  death 
in   1898.  He  continued  to  live  on 
and  improve  his  farm,  but  failing 
health   compelled   him   in    1852   to 
make  the  long     and  tedious     trip 
across     the  plains     to   California. 
That  year  was   one   of  the   years 
when  so  many  people  were  afflicted 
with   gold   fever,   and   crossed  the 
plains     in  all  kinds     of  trains     in 


REV.   HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


15 


search  of  wealth.  Some  with 
horses,  some  with  oxen,  but  he  se- 
lected the  unique  and  unusual,  a 
team  of  milk  cows,  thus  providing 
themselves  with  means  of  subsist- 
ence as  well  as  transportation.  I 
can  remember  well  when  they  yok- 
ed the  cows  together  and  began  to 
break  them  in  to  work.  Thus 
equipped  he  took  with  him  two 
neighbors,  Westly  Higgerson  and 
Noah  Guymon,  and  for  over  six 
months  they  trudged  along  over 
that  long  and  tiresome  journey. 
Higgerson  was  a  partner,  but  Guy- 
mon worked  his  passage  by  driv- 
ing grazing  and  watching  the  team 
of  nights.  Six  months  later  found 
them  all  in  California,  and  with 
health  much  improved.  After 
spending  a  few  months  he  re- 
turned by  vessel  by  way  of  Panama 
route,  only  to  be  taken  at  New  Or- 
leans with  a  fever,  which  resulted 
in  bringing  on  dyspepsia  again,  and 
thus  returned  to  his  family  after  a 
year's  absence  almost  as  sorely  af- 
flicted as  when  he  went  away.  He 
renewed  his  efforts  and  labors  on 
the  farm,  but  in  1855  was  com- 
pelled again  to  give  it  up,  and  re- 
moved this  time  to  O'Fallon. 
in  St.  Clair  Co.,  111.,  and  embarked 
in  the  mercantile  business  in  a 
small  way,  being  the  first  person 
to  start  any  kind  of  business  in  the 
place,  now  grown  to  be  quite  a 
city.  The  B.  &  O.  Southwestern, 
then  called  the  "Ohio  &  Mississip- 
pi R.  R.,"  had  just  been  built,  and 
we  were  there  when  the  third  rail 


was  laid  changing  it  from  a  broad 
gauge  to  a  compromise  gauge. 

This  business  he  continued  for 
about  one  year.  Health  growing 
better  he  again  returned  to  the 
farm,  and  it  being  rented  for  a 
longer  period  the  man  would  not 
give  it  up,  so  he  built  another 
house  on  another  part  of  land  and 
enlarged  his  farm  until  it  was  now 
about  400  acres.  Here  he  contin- 
ued to  live  and  raised  his  large 
family,  giving  them  all  a  fair  edu- 
cation, sending  three  of  them  off 
to  college,  making  of  them  a 
preacher,  a  lawyer  and  a  doctor, 
and  in  1885,  being  advanced  in 
years,  he  left  the  old  farm  and 
moved  to  Campbell  Hill,  111.,  his 
family  having  all  married  and  he 
and  his  wife  lived  alone  there  for 
about  seven  years.  Selling  this 
property  they  went  to  Percy,  111., 
near  the  old  homestead,  and  built 
them  a  house  where  they  lived 
comfortably  to  the  date  of  his 
death,  at  the  advanced  age  of  al- 
most 82  vears. 


CHAPTER  II. 


I  have  no  exact  data  to  guide 
me,  as  to  the  time  of  his  conver- 
sion and  entering  the  ministry,  as 
he  kept  no  diary  or  memorandum 
of  his  work ;  always  had  the 
strongest  aversion  to  anything  like 
egotism  or  self-praise,  or  of  what 
he  had  done,  and  thus  no  record 
is  left  as  to  dates  and  work  accom- 
plished. 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


REV.  H.  S.  GORDON. 


REV.   HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


17 


But  about  the  year  1837  he 
united  with  the  Baptist  church  at 
Georgetown,  111,,  sometimes  called 
Steele's  Mills,  and  Steelesville,  in 
honor  of  old  Uncle  Geo.  Steele, 
who  was  the  founder  of  the  town 
and  owned  and  operated  a  large 
grist  mill  driven  by  wild  cattle  or 
horses  on  an  old-fashioned  incline 
wheel.  And  shortly  after,  the 
church  passed  a  resolution  asking 
Bro.  Gordon  to  exercise  his  gift 
in  the  way  of  public  speaking.  This 
he  did,  and  shortly  thereafter  he 
was  ordained  to  the  Gospel  minis- 
try by  the  usual  forms  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Baptist  Church. 

He  soon  realized,  however,  that 
his  education  was  not  adequate  to 
this  very  important  undertaking, 
and  there  being  no  facilities  or  ad- 
vantages convenient  at  hand,  he 
arranged  to  take  his  family,  being 
a  wife  and  one  child,  at  that  time 
with  him  to  Alton,  111.,  and  in 
1841  he  entered  the  theological  de- 
partment of  Shurtleff  College. 
Here  he  remained  for  about  two 
years,  working  nights  and  morn- 
ings and  Saturdays  for  his  board 
and  his  wife's  at  the  very  desirable 
occupation  of  chopping  cord  wood 
and  splitting  rails,  and  as  troubles 
never  come  singly,  it  was  at  this 
time  that  the  first  boy  came  to 
their  home.  When  he  had  finished 
school  he  moved  back  again  and 
took  up  his  work  already  begun, 
and  for  the  first  eight  years  he 
preached  all  over  Southern  Illinois, 
became  quite  popular,  as  he  was  a 


very  able  preacher;  organized 
churches  and  made  himself  gener- 
ally useful.  In  fact  he  was  the 
only  college  man  in  the  Associa- 
tion, and  was  employed  by  the  As- 
sociation in  the  capacity  of  a  mis- 
sionary to  preach  throughout  the 
bounds  of  the  Association  and  or- 
ganize churches,  the  parent  society 
at  New  York  to  pay  one-half  of 
his  salary,  which  was  to  be  $400 
per  year.  He  had  entered  upon 
this  work,  meeting  with  fair  suc- 
cess. The  reader  will  bear  in  mind 
that  the  first  ten  or  twelve  years 
of  his  ministry  was  given  to  the 
Missionary  Baptist  Church,  and 
the  church  to  which  he  belonged 
was  a  member  of  the  Nine  Mile 
Asssociation. 

On  April  28th,  1850,  in  the 
prosecution  of  his  work  as  mission- 
ary he  organized  a  church  at 
Looney  Springs  (now  Campbell 
Hill),  in  Jackson  county,  111.,  with 
nine  members  as  follows :  John 
McLaughlin,  John  Burlison  (still 
living),  Mary  Henry,  Sarah  White, 
Serena  Bradley,  Mary  White, 
Nancy  Petty,  Jane  Burlison  and 
Susan  Harrison,  all  of  whom  so 
far  as  they  understood  endorsed 
the  doctrines  of  the  Missionary 
Baptist  Church.  It  was  announc- 
ed that  at  the  next  meeting  the 
Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper 
would  be  administered,  which  in 
the  meantime  was  discussed  in  the 
neighborhood  by  the  members  of 
the  new  church  as  well  as  others, 
and  there  was  quite  a  general  feel- 


18 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


ing  among  the  members  (for 
churches  were  very  scattering  in 
Illinois  at  this  time)  that  their 
Methodist  and  Presbyterian 
neighbors,  of  which  there  was  two 
or  three  in  the  vicinity,  might  com- 
mune with  them.  This  was  said 
by  some  to  be  contrary  to  the  us- 
ages of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  it 
was  agreed  among  themselves  to 
leave  the  whole  matter  to  their 
new  pastor,  Bro.  Gordon,  when  he 
came,  for  their  meetings  were  held 
monthly.  However,  the  agitation 
was  continued  with  much  earnest- 
ness until  the  time  came  and  he  ar- 
rived, and  they  presented  the  mat- 
ter to  him  privately,  one  by  one. 
And  now  the  great  and  important 
question  must  be  met  somehow. 
These  people  are  right  and  my 
Church  is  wrong  on  this  vital  ques- 
tion, and  in  his  own  words :  "I 
yielded  to  their  entreaties  and  gave 
my  consent,  although  I  had  never 
publicly  advocated  free  commun- 
ion in  my  life,"  but  their  claim  was 
just  and  their  cause  scriptural,  "so 
I  yielded  my  acquired  denomina- 
tional prejudices."  And  after 
preaching,  I  invited  the  members 
forward  to  the  front  seats.  "Also 
if  there  are  any  persons  of  our 
'faith  and  order'  you  will  come 
forward  and  be  seated  with  us." 
A  few  came  who  were  members 
of  the  Georgetown  church.  Now 
said  he,  "I  have  extended  the  in- 
vitation as  far  as  my  denomination 
allows  me;  does  this  church  wish 
it  extended  farther?  All  who  do 


please  stand  to  your  feet."  And  the 
church  all  stood.  Now  said  he,  "I 
invite  all  believers  present  to  a  seat 
with  us  at  the  Lord's  table,"  which 
offence  in  the  eyes  of  Close  Com- 
munion Baptist  was  so  heretical 
that  he  had  hardly  got  back  home 
from  his  appointment  until  charges 
were  preferred  against  him  and  he 
was  called  to  appear  before  his 
church  and  give  an  account  for  this 
departure  from  Baptist  usages,  for 
which  offence  he  was  excluded 
from  his  church  for — in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Moderator — "damna- 
ble heresy." 

That  this  history  may  be  com- 
plete, and  set  forth  all  the  facts 
connected  with  the  trial  and  ex- 
clusion of  Rev.  Henry  S.  Gordon 
from  the  Missionary  Baptist 
Church  at  Georgetown  (now 
Steelesville)  I  will  give  the  report 
of  the  committee  in  full,  as  fol- 
lows : 

Trial  and  Exclusion  of  Rev.  H.  S. 

Gordon  from  the  Baptist  Church 

at   Georgetown,   Randolph   Co., 

111.  :— 

We  whose  names  are  hereunto 
assigned,  being  a  committee  ap- 
pointed by  the  newly  organized 
Baptist  Church  at  Georgetown, 
Randolph  county,  Illinois,  to  pre- 
pare and  publish  an  account  of  the 
trial  and  exclusion  of  Rev.  H.  S. 
Gordon  from  the  old  Baptist 
Church  of  that  place,  make  the  fol- 
lowing as  our  report  in  compliance 
of  their  request. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


19 


At  a  meeting  of  the  Baptist 
Church  December  i/th,  1850,  Rev. 
T.  Rawson  enquired  of  the  Church 
to  know  whether  the  conduct  of 
some  of  the  members  of  this 
church  in  communing  with  the 
Looney  Springs  church  was  a 
public  offence  or  not.  In  order 
that  Church  might  fully  under- 
stand the  motion  Bro.  Gordon 
made  the  following  explanation  : 

The  Looney  Springs  church, 
said  he,  which  I  assisted  in  con- 
stituting in  April  last  with  9  mem- 
bers, and  selected  me  as  pastor  is 
in  a  prosperous  condition  and 
numbers  now  between  50  and  60 
members.  The  last  meeting  was  a 
sacramental  occasion.  The  breth- 
ren and  sisters  were  requested  to 
come  and  take  their  seats,  the  in- 
vitation was  then  given  to  visiting 
members  of  the  Baptist  denomina- 
tion ;  among  others  that  accepted 
this  invitation  were  several  mem- 
bers of  the  Georgetown  church. 
Now,  said  he,  I  have  extended  the 
invitation  as  far  as  our  denomina- 
tion is  in  the  habit  of  extending, 
but  do  you  wish  to  extend  it  any 
further?  I  submit  the  matter  with 
you.  All  who  wish  to  extend  it  to 
all  Christians  please  rise  up.  The 
church  unanimously  rose ;  all 
Christians  were  then  invited  to 
come  and  partake  with  them.  Sev- 
eral came. 

After  this  explanation  of  the 
matter  they  resolved  to  investigate 
the  subject  at  its  next  meeting,  and 
that  a  council  of  ministers  of  the 


denomination  be  invited  to  attend, 
whereupon  Elders  Peck,  Boykin, 
Peters,  Lemon,  Arnett,  Phillips 
and  Hale  were  invited. 

January  18,  1851,  Church  met 
agreeable  to  appointment,  P.  Heg- 
lar,  Moderator.  On  motion  the 
subject  was  taken  up  for  investiga- 
tion, but  instead  of  investigating 
it  the  Church  was  formed  into  a 
regular  court  to  try  the  said  Gor- 
don and  others  for  being  "public 
offenders."  Mr.  Rawson  then  pro- 
ceeded to  read  several  letters,  one 
from  D.  L.  Phillips,  also  some  ar- 
ticles from  the  Western  Watch- 
man, one  written  by  Peck  and  an- 
other by  Boykin,  in  answer  to  the 
invitation  sent  them  by  the  Church. 

The  defendants  then  enquired  to 
know  whether  these  letters  were  to 
be  taken  as  evidence  in  this  case, 
and  were  answered  in  the  affirma- 
tive. These  letters  set  forth  Baptist 
principles  and  Baptist  usages,  says 
the  Church,  therefore  they  are  to 
be  taken  as  evidence.  The  de- 
fendants then  urged  that  they 
should  be  tried  by  the  Bible  and 
not  by  usages ;  if  our  conduct  has 
been  contrary  to  the  Bible,  we 
will  acknowledge  and  forsake  it, 
but  try  us  by  the  Bible  ;  the  Bible — 
the  Bible  alone,  and  not  by  usages. 
But  they  urged  in  vain.  The  Bible 
was  not  to  be  the  rule  in  this  case. 
Every  church  has  a  right  to  make 
its  own  laws,  said  Arnett. 

Gordon  then  urged  the  impropri- 
ety of  making  usages  the  rule  of 
our  conduct,  and  mentioned  sev- 


20 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


eral  historical  facts  as  illustrations 
of  what  usages  had  been,  and  that 
there  had  been  usages,  and  many 
of  them  had  been  wrong.  He  had 
not  proceeded  far  before  some  of 
the  brethren  became  exceedingly 
restless,  and  began  to  mutter  and 
talk.  At  length  their  indignation 
rose  so  high  that  they  could  not  re- 
strain their  feelings  any  longer, 
and  springing  from  their  seats, 
brethren  *  *  *  in  a  tone  of  perfect 
rage,  cried  out :  Put  him  out !  Turn 
him  out !  He  is  not  of  us !  Turn  him 
out !  We  are  not  going  to  be  abus- 
ed in  our  own  house  in  this  way. 
Put  him  out !  And  the  defendant 
was  not  allowed  to  proceed  any 
further.  Bro.  Arnett  was  then 
called  on  to  give  his  opinion  in  this 
matter.  He  arose  and  gave  a  very 
sympathetic  exhortation  to  those 
who  had  violated  Baptist  usages, 
but  charged  all  the  sin  on  Bro. 
Gordon.  He  had  no  doubt  if  it 
was  to  do  over  again,  these  mem- 
bers would  not  do  so  any  more; 
exhorted  Bro.  Gordon  to  be  an  ex- 
ample to  the  flock  and  adhere  to 
those  customs  of  the  Church  which 
had  been  long  in  use,  telling  him 
that  Methodists  and  Presbyterians, 
&c.,  would  not  come  if  he  did  in- 
vite them ;  that  they  were  all  close 
communionists,  and  that  he 
would  lose  his  reputation  if  he 
would  have  such  notions ;  that  the 
ministers  of  the  South  District  As- 
sociation always  thought  a  great 
deal  of  him,  but  now  abandon  him, 
and  that  his  course  would  hurt  his 


brothers'  feelings ;  that  he  himself 
had  always  been  a  great  friend  of 
his  and  had  taken  him  in  one  cold 
night,  and  treated  him  kindly,  and 
concluded  by  urging  him  to  ac- 
knowledge his  fault,  to  all  of  which 
Gordon  made  a  short  reply.  Elder 
Hale  then  rose  to  speak  in  behalf 
of  those  who  were  charged,  but 
was  refused  to  be  heard  in  their 
favor,  but  they  urged  that  he  had 
a  right  to  speak,  for  the  Church 
had  invited  him  there.  The  Mod- 
erator then  decided  that  he  should 
only  give  his  opinions  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  the  defendants  were  not 
allowed  to  have  any  council  what- 
ever. After  a  great  many  ques- 
tions by  various  brethren  by  way 
of  cross-examination,  a  motion 
was  made  to  adjourn,  but  the  de- 
fendants objected,  unless  the 
Church  would  agree  to  meet  again. 
We  don't  want  the  matter  to  stop 
in  this  manner,  said  they. 

The  defendants  are  charged  with 
making  this  difficulty ;  if  they  will 
just  let  us  alone,  said  the  Modera- 
tor. Bro.  Gordon  then  arose  and 
asked  the  congregation  who  made 
this  difficulty?  and  if  there  was  a 
single  person  in  the  house  who  had 
ever  heard  him  preach  or  teach  the 
doctrine  of  free  communion.  No 
one  said  they  had.  Well,  if  we 
have  never  preached  nor  talked 
about  it,  why  does  the  Moderator 
ask  us  to  alet  them  alone?" 

Now,  said  he,  I  do  for  the  first 
time  publicly  avow  it.  I  do  believe 
all  Christians  should  commune  to- 


REV.   HENRY  S.   GORDON. 


21 


gether.  Then  asked  time  to  give 
some  reasons  why  he  believed  so. 
Ten  minutes  were  then  allowed 
him,  when  he  stated  some  eight  or 
ten  objections  to  restricted  com- 
munion. On  motion  the  question 
was  then  put  to  the  Church  to  say 
whether  these  persons  had  violated 
Baptist  usages,  and  it  was  decided 
they  had.  After  this  decision  was 
made  it  was  unanimously  agreed 
that  those  sisters  should  be  excus- 
ed on  the  score  of  ignorance !  but 
Bro.  Gordon  knew  better;  there- 
fore he  should  make  his  acknowl- 
edgements. He  replied  that  he 
was  not  convinced  that  he  had 
done  wrong,  therefore  he  could 
not  make  any  acknowledgment 
until  he  was  convinced  of  his  er- 
ror from  the  Bible.  More  than 
that,  no  acknowledgment  could  be 
satisfactory  to  the  Church,  be- 
cause a  very  respectable  part  of  it 
thought  he  had  done  right.  Af- 
ter much  confusion  and  evidently 
angry  feelings  among  the  accusers 
themselves,  they  finally  succeeded 
in  forming  the  following  resolu- 
tion : 

Resolved,  that  H.  S.  Gordon  be 
excluded  from  the  fellowship  of 
this  Church. 

It  being  suggested  by  some  one 
that  if  these  other  parties  were 
excused  they  would  now  be  al- 
lowed to  vote  in  this  case ;  but  that 
privilege  was  refused  them,  and 
they  were  not  allowed  their  vote, 
although  they  were  exonerated 


from  all  charge.  The  question 
was  then  put  and  carried  by  a 
small  majority,  and  the  said  Gor- 
don was  excluded  from  the 
Church.  The  Moderator  then  re- 
marked by  way  of  sympathy  that 
he  had  no  doubt  but  those  persons 
were  good  Christians,  but  they 
were  not  good  Baptists,  and  the 
meeting  adjourned. 

R.  A.  BRADLEY, 

J.  A.  BRADLEY, 

E.  T.  REESE, 

THOS.  MARTIN, 

DR.  JOB  LAWRENCE, 

Committee. 

The  following  was  printed  on 
the  back  of  the  sheet  containing 
the  above  account  of  the  trial : 

In  view  of  the  above  facts,  the 
unreasonableness  of  the  charge, 
and  the  base  injustice  that  was 
done  the  man,  a  great  part  of  the 
Church  became  greatly  dissatis- 
fied, and  the  following  notice  was 
read  on  the  following  Sabbath  in 
the  meeting  house : 

In  view  of  present  circumstances 
it  has  been  thought  proper  that  a 
meeting  be  held  in  this  place  at 
one  o'clock  next  Saturday  for  the 
purpose  of  taking  into  considera- 
tion the  propriety  of  forming  a 
new  church. 

The  old  house  was  refused 
them,  and  on  Saturday,  February 
i,  1851,  one  o'clock,  the  congre- 
gation assembled  at  the  residence 
of  Deacon  Jno.  T.  Short.  The 
meeting  was  called  to  order  by  ap- 
pointing R.  A.  Bradley,  Esq., 


22 


AND  LABORS  OF 


chairman,  and  '  Jno.  McLaughlin 
secretary.  After  prayer  by  H.  S. 
Gordon,  the  chair  explained  the 
object  of  the  meeting.  The  meet- 
ing being  properly  organized,  pro- 
ceeded to  discuss  the  propriety  of 
a  new  church  organization.  The 
brethren  and  friends  conversed 
freely  on  the  subject,  and  the 
meeting  was  addressed  by  Rev.  H. 
S.  Gordon,  Dr.  Job  Lawrence, 
Rev.  Jno.  Mathews  and  M.  E.  Lof- 
ton, Esq.  After  the  subject  had 
been  freely  discussed  for  some 
time,  Bro.  Gordon  offered  the 
form  of  a  constitution  for  the  fur- 
ther consideration  of  the  meeting. 
After  sufficient  deliberation  it  was 
proposed  that  all  who  wished  to 
form  a  new  organization  and 
adopt  such  a  constitution  should 
come  forward  and  take  their  seats, 
whereupon  twenty-five  presented 
themselves — all  members  of  the 
Baptist  church  at  that  place — and 
organized  themselves  into  a 
church,  adopting  the  following 
covenant  and  constitution : 

We  whose  names  are  hereunto 
subscribed,  being  personally  ac- 
quainted and  having  confidence  in 
each  other's  piety,  agree  to  asso- 
ciate ourselves  together  in  church 
relationship  for  the  purpose  of 
each  other's  mutual  benefit,  to 
watch  over  each  other  in  the  spirit 
of  Christian  kindness,  to  pray  with 
and  for  each  other,  and  in  all  pru- 
dent manner  seek  each  other's 
present  and  eternal  good.  Agree 
to  adopt  the  following  as  our  con- 
stitution : 


Article  i.  We  wish  to  be  called 
the  Baptist  Church  of  Christ. 

Art.  2.  We  agree  to  take  the 
scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments  as  the  all-sufficient 
rule  of  our  faith  and  practice. 

Art.  3.  We  understand  the 
Scriptures  to  teach  the  sovereign- 
ity  of  God — the  accountability  of 
man — the  divinity  of  Christ — the 
influence  of  the  Spirit — the  resur- 
rection of  the  dead — the  final  judg- 
ment— the  everlasting  happiness 
of  the  righteous,  and  the  misery  of 
the  wicked. 

Art.  4.  We  understand  the 
Scriptures  to  teach  the  necessity 
of  repentance  for  sins,  faith  in  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  the  all  import- 
ance of  humble  devout  prayer  to 
God;  salvation  through  the  merits 
of  Jesus  Christ  alone,  and  free  for 
all  who  would  embrace  it. 

Art.  5.  We  view  Baptism  as  an 
indispensable  duty  that  all  believ- 
ers in  Christ  should  perform,  and 
that  immersion  is  the  proper  mode 
of  receiving  it. 

Art.  6.  We  believe  it  to  be  our 
duty  to  invite  all  Christians  to  par- 
take with  us  in  communion  at  the 
Lord's  table,  and  to  exercise 
Christian  charity  to  all  mankind. 

Art.  7.  We  further  believe  it  to 
be  our  duty  to  extend  the  preached 
Gospel  to  the  destitute  as  far  as 
in  our  power  lies. 

Art.  8.  We  also  believe  it  to  be 
our  duty  to  live  peaceably  with  all 
men,  as  far  as  possible,  and  keep 
a  conscience  void  of  offence  to- 
ward God  and  man. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


23 


Art.  9.  This  constitution  may  be 
altered  or  amended  at  any  regu- 
lar meeting  of  the  Church;  pro- 
vided notice  has  been  given  at  a 
preceding  meeting,  and  two-thirds 
of  the  members  present  are  in  fa- 
vor of  the  alteration. 

Thus  you  will  observe  how  God 
providentially  seems  to  have  led  in 
this  whole  matter,  whereby  Bro. 
Gordon  became  the  leader  and 
founder  of  a  body  of  Christians  in 
Southern  Illinois,  without  any  sel- 
fish interest,  ambition  or  motive 
prompting,  only  to  be  true  to  his 
convictions. 

There  were  now  two  churches, 
and  shortlv  after  he  organized 
Pipestone,  at  what  is  now  called 
Denmark ;  also  another  near 
Rockwood,  still  called  Pleasant 
Ridge.  These  four  he  organized 
into  an  association  in  1851  and 
named  it  the  Southern  Illinois  As- 
sociation of  Free  Communion 
Baptists.  Under  his  ministry  these 
churches  grew  very  rapidly,  and 
the  new  church  at  Georgetown  had 
built  a  new  house  within  the  first 
three  months  and  had  increased 
its  membership  to  60.  His  preach- 
ing was  pungent  and  powerful  and 
at  every  service  persons  were  add- 
ed to  the  Church,  and  baptisms  oc- 
curred every  month. 

Bro.  Gordon's  ability  as  a 
preacher,  his  remarkable  vocabu- 
lary, fine  use  of  language,  native 
oratory,  great  earnestness,  and 
natural  adaptability  to  the  work- 


to  which  he  had  been  so  unexpect- 
edly called,  admirably  fitted  him 
to  become  the  leader  of  a  more 
advanced  and  liberal  view  of  Chris- 
tianity at  a  time  in  the  history  of 
the  Baptist  Church  when  it  was 
anything  but  popular.  But  it  was 
not  popularity  he  was  seeking  af- 
ter. Although  the  people  came  by 
thousands  to  hear  him  preach,  and 
every  service  witnessed  conver- 
sions frequently  by  the  score,  and 
every  monthly  meeting  baptisms. 

With  this  terrible  pressure  he 
continued  to  go  from  place  to 
place,  everywhere  preaching  the 
Gospel. 

I  would  not  be  saying  too  much, 
no,  not  enough,  if  I  should  say 
that  he  had  done  more  to  create  a 
moral  and  religious  sentiment  in 
the  towns  of  Percy  and  Campbell 
Hill,  where  he  had  preached  and 
lived,  than  any  other  dozen  men 
in  the  community. 

In  the  home  he  was  very  social, 
fond  of  company  and  enjoyed  a 
joke,  sometimes  quite  facetious.  I 
asked  him  to  tell  me  something  of 
his  early  life,  and  his  reply  was, 
"There  was  nothing  remarkable 
about  my  early  life  except  my  ex- 
treme awkwardness." 

Free  Will,  Free  Grace,  and  Free 
Communion,  became  the  theme  on 
every  tongue,  and  calls  to  preach 
elsewhere  multiplied  upon  him, 
and  the  work  broadened  and  en- 
larged until  it  had  reached  over 
several  counties.  He  organized 
a  church  at  Ava,  then  called  Head- 


24 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


quarters.  Camp  Creek,  Sato,  De 
Soto,  several  across  Muddy  river 
and  eastward  into  Franklin  and 
Hamilton  counties.  The  apostle 
of  a  new  doctrine,  and  success 
crowned  his  efforts  and  the  enor- 
mity of  the  work  began  to  dawn 
upon  him  and  how  God  was  mys- 
teriously impelling  him  forward 
not  only  as  the  founder  but  leader 
in  this  very  popular  movement, 
and  bringing  to  his  assistance  such 
men  as  Hon.  R.  A.  Bradley  and 
Judge  Wm.  Bradley,  who  were 
both  brought  into  the  church  and 
the  ministry  under  his  preaching. 
He  began  to  cast  about  him  for 
somebody  who  held  to  and  believ- 
ed the  Bible  as  he  did,  and  hear- 
ing of  a  people  in  Indiana  who 
preached  and  practiced  baptism  by 
immersion  and  free  communion, 
resolved  to  go  and  see  for  himself 
what  there  might  be.  And  so  in 
the  fall  of  1854  he  associated  with 
himself  Rev.  Wm.  Bradley  and 
Deacon  John  T.  Short,  and 
equipped  with  wagon  and  team, 
blankets  and  some  provisions,  cof- 
fee pot  and  fry  pan,  started  out  on 
what  in  that  day  was  a  long  and 
tedious  journey  (for  there  was  not 
a  railroad  in  Southern  Illinois  at 
that  time),  to  attend  a  meeting  of 
the  Liberty  Association  of  General 
Baptists,  and  there  he  met  their 
founder,  Rev.  Benoni  Stinson, 
learned  from  whence  they  came, 
who  and  what  they  were,  their 
doctrines,  &c.,  which  visit  resulted 
in  a  fraternal  and  reciprocal  cor- 


respondence which  was  continued 
for  many  years.  Finding  them 
one  in  doctrine  and  church  gov- 
ernment, two  years  later  he  with 
his  people  adopted  the  name  "Gen- 
eral Baptist,"  which  name  they 
bore  for  about  twenty  years. 

Father  Gordon  was  truly  a  re- 
former, and  took  advanced  stands 
upon  all  the  moral  questions  of  the 
day,  a  very  pronounced  temper- 
ance man,  30  years  before  the 
Murphy  movement  began,  and  a 
strong  advocate  for  legal  prohibi- 
tion, he  voted  as  he  preached,  and 
from  1880,  when  Neal  Dow  ran 
for  President  on  the  Prohibition 
ticket  to  the  date  of  his  death  he 
voted  the  Prohibition  ticket 
straight.  All  questions  that  came 
to  him  received  careful  considera- 
tion. A  profound  thinker,  a  care- 
ful and  logical  reasoner,  a  safe 
councilor,  a  philanthropist,  and 
the  true  friend  of  humanity.  There 
was  a  sternness  of  character  and 
determination  of  purpose  in  him 
that  was  equaled  only  by  his  gen- 
tleness and  kind  heartedness.  So- 
lemnity rested  upon  him  as  a  man- 
tle when  he  approached  the  mercy 
seat,  and  when  he  communed  with 
God  he  talked  as  man  to  man.  A 
friend  to  education,  his  voice  was 
always  heard  in  behalf  of  our  public 
school  system,  having  given  some 
time  to  the  school  room,  the  ferule 
and  the  recitation  class  himself. 

He  still  continued  to  preach  and 
organize  churches  and  to  enlarge 
his  field  of  usefulness.  He  went 


REV.  HENRY   S.  GORDON. 


25 


through  heat  and  cold,  through 
dust  and  mud,  crossed  swollen 
streams  and  traversed  trailless  ways 
to  reach  his  appointments ;  travel- 
ed more  miles,  preached  more  ser- 
mons and  baptized  and  received 
into  membership  more  persons 
than  any  Baptist  minister  of  his 
day.  His  life  work  was  an  illus- 
tration of  the  possible  strain  and 
endurance  of  the  human  body,  and 
with  all  his  manifold  duties  and 
labors,  the  oversight  and  care  of 
the  churches  he  never  for  a  mo- 
ment lost  sight  of  home  responsi- 
bilities, the  care  of  a  large  family 
and  the  cultivation  of  a  large 
farm,  all  of  which  under  God's 
blessing  enlarged  and  prospered. 

Aside  from  doctrinal  sermons 
his  preaching  was  of  a  peculiar 
type,  his  favorite  themes  being 
"Love,"  "The  Angels,"  and 
"Heaven,"  and  his  descriptions  of 
the  New  Jerusalem,  or  his  celestial 
flights  among  the  angels,  or  his 
dissertations  upon  the  "Love  of 
God,"  were  not  only  a  pleasure 
and  delight  to  hear,  but  an  inspir- 
ation to  any  one  ambitious  to 
preach  or  hear  the  good  news  of 
the  Kingdom. 

He  was  not  made  up  of  idiosyn- 
crasies, nor  attracted  the  people 
by  his  eccentricities,  nor  was  he 
unlike  common  humanity  in  the 
main,  but  there  was  one  thing  he 
did  not  like,  and  that  was  chicken. 
Returning  one  Monday  morning 
from  his  appointment,  as  the  day 
began  to  wear  away  he  thought 


he  would  stop  at  the  house  of  an 
old  friend  and  get  some  dinner. 
Dismounting  he  hitched  his  mare 
at  the  gate  and  went  in.  After  the 
usual  salutation  he  told  his  busi- 
ness, and  presently  he  saw  two  of 
the  girls  after  a  chicken.  He 
sauntered  leisurely  down  to  the 
gate  and  mounting  his  old  black 
filley  he  rode  away.  Here  we 
have  one  case  at  least  on  record  of 
a  preacher  who  did  not  like 
chicken.  He  possessed  a  very  keen 
sense  of  honor,  and  held  truth  in 
very  high  esteem,  fond  of  flowers, 
music  and  poetry,  especially  did  he 
admire  Milton,  Pollock  and 
Young,  and  in  his  preaching  quot- 
ed very  largely  from  the  poets.  I 
remember  hearing  him  tell  of  a 
vain  search  for  his  poet's  name, 
how  he  forgot  what  the  poet  said, 
and  so  had  to  inform  his  audience 
that  he  had  "forgotten  the  poet's 
name  and  what  he  said."  Soon  af- 
ter his  return  from  college  he  was 
honored  with  having  a  minister  of 
considerable  ability  to  hear  him 
preach.  After  the  service  the 
minister  approached  him  with,  "I 
was  much  refreshed  under  your 
preaching."  Indeed?  "Yes;  I  had 
a  real  good  nap."  He  enjoyed  a 
joke,  especially  if  it  was  on  him- 
self. 

For  many  years  he  had  associ- 
ated with  him  Rev.  Wm.  Bradley. 
They  had  grown  to  be  very  fast 
friends.  In  the  troublesome  times 
of  the  Civil  War,  when  the  nation 
was  shook  from  center  to  cir- 


26 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


cumference,  and  men  were  wild 
with  excitement,  and  war's  terri- 
bly demoralizing  influence  was  af- 
fecting the  social  fabric  in  every 
department,  they  went  everywhere 
preaching  the  Word,  and  amidst 
the  excitement  and  strife,  such  as 
this  country  never  felt  before  or 
since,  he  went  straight  forward 
with  the  Master's  business. 

The  doctrine  of  open  commun- 
ion among  Baptists  in  the  West 
was  an  unknown  factor  in  relig- 
ious circles  anterior  to  1850,  and  it 
took  a  fearless  and  courageous 
man  to  declare  for  it.  Perhaps  it 
required  as  much  firmness  to  es- 
pouse the  Free  Communion  ques- 
tion in  1850  as  it  did  in  the  days 
of  Randall  to  launch  out  against 
the  Baptists  and  Congregational- 
ists  on  the  doctrine  of  Calvinism, 
the  freedom  of  the  will.  Of  course 
he  incurred  the  displeasure  of  the 
Close  Baptists.  While  today  it  is 
rare  to  find  a  Missionary  Baptist 
church  in  any  of  our  cities  exclud- 
ing any  Christian  from  the  Lord's 
table,  but  simply  set  the  table  and 
say  nothing  about  it,  let  come  to 
the  table  who  may,  doing  virtually 
the  very  same  thing  for  which  they 
excluded  him  from  their  fellow- 
ship. He  lived  in  advance  of  his 
age,  not  only  on  the  communion 
question,  but  many  other  ques- 
tions. This,  however,  was  the 
pivotal  point  then.  This  was  the 
question  of  all  others,  and  devel- 
opments in  the  past  few  years  has 
proven  him  more  farsighted  than 
thev  all. 


He  and  his  followers  were  quite 
frequently  dubbed  "Freewillers," 
"Free  Communionists,"  "The 
"Freewills,"  &c.,  in  derision,  of 
course,  but  in  time  they  "benevo- 
lently assimilated"  the  first  part 
of  the  name  and  since  1876  have 
been  known  as  Free  Baptists,  hav- 
ing in  that  year  been  connected 
with  the  larger  body  of  Baptists 
in  the  East,  holding  identically 
the  same  views  on  Free  Grace, 
Free  Will,  Free  Salvation  and 
Free  Communion. 

It  is  a  matter  of  some  regret 
that  no  memoranda  was  kept  of 
his  travels,  churches  organized, 
sermons  preached,  number  of  mar- 
riages solemnized,  persons  bap- 
tized, &c.,  by  which  an  adequate 
idea  of  his  indefatigable  labors 
might  be  set  in  order,  giving  facts 
and  dates,  that  it  might  be  an  in- 
centive to  others  to  emulate  his 
busy,  active  life.  But  'tis  enough 
to  say  that  for  60  years  he  never 
faltered,  nor  hesitated  but  went 
where  duty  called.  The  last  few 
years  of  life  he  did  not  take  much 
regular  work,  but  did  continue  to 
preach  to  the  end,  preached  the 
funeral  of  Aunt  Mary  Under- 
wood, one  of  his  oldest  members, 
only  about  two  weeks  before  he 
died,  and  these  last  years  when  he 
could  not  go  out  of  nights  or  bad 
weather,  he  took  great  delight  in 
working  in  the  Sunday  school  each 
Sabbath  morning.  The  night  he 
died  he  spent  about  an  hour  ex- 
plaining to  two  of  the  teachers  the 


REV.   HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


27 


quite  obscure  lesson  of  January 
9th,  1898,  of  the  "Temptation  of 
Jesus,"  as  recorded  in  Matthew, 
fourth  chapter  and  i-n  verses, 
where  he  was  "led  of  the  spirit 
into  the  wilderness  to  be  tempted 
of  the  Devil,"  and  when  "he  was  a 
hungered,"  and  "the  pinnacle  of 
the  temple,"  and  the  "exceeding 
high  mountain,"  they  both  re- 
marked how  clear  his  brain  and 
how  beautifully  he  set  forth  this 
rather  difficult  and  perplexing 
scripture^  In  spite  of  almost  82 
years,  his  mind  seemed  to  have  lost 
none  if  its  former  vigor,  nor  his 
tongue  to  speak  in  that  remark- 
ably wide  vocabulary  that  to  him 
was  a  special  gift,  but  few  men 
are  endowed  with  so  broad  a  range 
of  words  or  gifted  in  choosing  just 
the  right  ones  in  the  right  place. 
This  accounted  largely  for  his  abil- 
ity as  an  orator.  He  could  hold 
an  audience  spell-bound  for  hours. 
The  sixteenth  annual  meeting  of 
the  Southern  Illinois  Association 
of  General  Baptists  was  held  with 
Mount  Olivet  church  in  Hamilton 
Co.,  in  October,  1866.  Bro.  Gor- 
don preached  the  introductory 
sermon,  "and  on  motion,  Rev.  J. 
S.  Brown,  of  the  Union  Baptist 
Church,  of  near  Lebanon,  111.,  be- 
ing present,  was  invited  to  sit  with 
us  in  council ;  also  the  correspond- 
ence to  be  reciprocated.  Rev.  H.  S. 
Gordon  was  chosen  to  visit  the 
above  church."  I  was  clerk  of  that 
meeting,  and  remember  quite  well 
when  those  two  brethren  met  at 


that  time,  both  having  been  ex- 
cluded from  the  Baptist  church  be- 
cause of  the  communion  question ; 
how  they  fell  upon  each  other's 
necks  and  wept.  This  visit  re- 
sulted in  bringing  their  three 
churches  into  the  Association.  In 
1869  the  annual  meeting  was  held 
at  Georgetown,  (now  Steelesville,) 
and  the  Association  had  grown  so 
large  and  unwieldy,  embracing 
Randolph,  Franklin,  Jackson, 
Saline,  Williamson,  Hamilton, 
Washington,  St.  Clair  and  Perry 
counties,  that  upon  a  motion  by 
Rev.  Wm.  Carlyle  "that  the  ter- 
ritory be  divided  and  all  the 
churches  east  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral railroad  be  formed  into  a  new 
association,  to  be  known  as  the 
Mt.  Olivet  Association  of  General 
Baptists,  which  was  carried,"  and 
"H.  S.  Gordon,  Wm.  Bradley,  J. 
C.  Gilliland  and  G.  A.  Gordon  be 
appointed  from  this  meeting  to  as- 
sist them  in  their  organization." 
Father  Gordon  was  Moderator  of 
this  meeting.  The  labors  of  Bro. 
Gordon  began  to  bear  fruits  across 
the  Mississippi  river  in  Missouri, 
and  about  this  time  a  quarterly 
meeting  was  organized  over  there, 
known  as  the  St.  Francois  Quar- 
terly Meeting.  So  churches  con- 
tinued to  increase  in  numbers, 
ministers  were  gathered  about 
him,  the  membership  of  the 
churches  increased  rapidly.  A  lack 
of  religious  literature,  suited  to  the 
needs  of  his  people,  with  no 
schools  or  colleges  at  all,  created  a 


28 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


demand  on  this  line  that  needs 
must  be  satisfied.  Acquaintanceship 
with  the  Free  Will  Baptists,  who 
had  two  religious  newspapers  and 
a  number  of  good  schools  had 
ripened  into  personal  visitations 
by  this  time,  that  opened  the  way 
for  a  consolidation  of  our  forces, 
which  now  numbered  six  Quarter- 
ly Meetings.  About  this  time 
there  was  a  general  movement  all 
over  the  states  among  liberal  Bap- 
tists in  this  same  direction,  and 
conventions  were  being  held  to 
further  this  end.  Rev.  J.  C.  Gilli- 
land,  Wm.  Bradley,  the  writer  and 
others  were  active  in  this  direc- 
tion, and  on  the  fourth  Sunday  in 
March,  1877,  a  convention  was 
called  by  the  writer  to  meet  at 
Looney  Springs  church,  to  deter- 
mine upon  what  action  should  be 
taken  in  the  matter.  Rev.  H.  S. 
Gordon  was  Moderator  of  this 
meeting,  and  it  was  unanimously 
agreed  to  adopt  the  name  "Free- 
will" and  report  to  the  next  ses- 
sion of  the  Central  Illinois  Year- 
ly Meeting,  which  had  been 
organized  at  Elkton  the  fall  before 
by  four  of  the  smaller  Quarterly 
Meetings  of  this  Association. 
Franklin  Co.  Quarterly  Meeting 
did  the  same  thing,  and  now  the 
whole  entire  body  of  six  Quarter- 
ly Meetings  were  thrown  together 
in  the  work. 

Bro.  Gordon  still  continued  to 
lead  and  direct  in  this  grand  work 
for  God  and  humanity,  and  was 
unanimously  regarded  as  our 


greatest  preacher,  and  acknowl- 
edged leader,  and  to  whom  all 
looked  for  council  and  advice.  The 
result  of  these  years  of  labor  so  far 
is  difficult  to  properly  estimate,  as 
in  those  days  there  were  many 
people  restless  and  unsettled,  a 
condition  in  part  growing  out  of 
the  years  of  war  that  had  pre- 
ceded and  partly  the  very  common 
custom  of  going  West  and  "grow- 
ing up  with  the  country."  Natural- 
ly ministers  would  be  affected  in 
the  same  way,  thus  a  number  of 
our  ministers  went  to  Missouri, 
Kansas  and  elsewhere,  who  con- 
tinued to  preach  the  doctrine  of 
the  Free  Baptist  Church.  And 
thus  has  gone  out  an  influence 
from  Bro.  Gordon's  preaching 
and  teaching  that  has  in  a  measure 
entered  into  the  warp  and  filling 
of  a  number  of  bodies  of  Liberal 
Baptists.  The  Mt.  Olivet  Associ- 
ation of  General  Baptists,  a  direct 
result,  the  Southeast  Missouri 
Yearly  Meeting  of  Free  Baptists, 
and  individual  churches  scattered 
all  over  the  adjacent  territory  can 
trace  their  origin  to  the  work  and 
teachings  of  Father  Gordon.  In 
all  these  years  of  constant  travel 
and  preaching,  seldom  missing  a 
Sabbath  in  a  year,  he  strove  care- 
fully not  to  be  burdensome  to  the 
churches,  and  so  sensitive  was  he 
upon  this  subject  that  he  received 
comparatively  no  salary  at  all,  or 
at  best  only  such  things  as  would 
be  given  him — a  pair  of  knit 
woolen  mittens,  or  wool  socks,  a 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


29 


wagon  load  of  pumpkins.  During 
the  war  when  a  great  deal  of  cot- 
ton was  grown  in  Southern  Illi- 
nois, he  brought  home  a  bushel  of 
cotton  seed,  which  was  planted  on 
the  farm,  and  when  gathered  and 
ready  to  sell,  was  obliged  to  be 
hauled  in  wagons  over  hilly  roads 
for  35  or  40  miles  to  a  cotton  gin 
to  get  the  seed  out  of  it.     Occa- 
sionally    a  good  old     sister    who 
wanted  to  help  spread  the  Gospel 
would  give  him  a  pair  of  hand  knit 
gloves   in  two  colors.     These,   of 
course,  were  something  fine,  such 
as  only  a  preacher     could  afford. 
The  wonderful  part  of  it  all  is  that 
for  60  years  a  man  would  continue 
to  go  constantly,  persistently,  with 
no  let  up  or  rest,  and  it  did  always 
disgust  him  with  a  minister  who 
was  worked  so  hard  that  his  church 
would  have  to  give  him  a  vacation 
every  summer.  The  fact  is  he  had 
but  little  patience  with  such  weak- 
lings.    If  he  had  a  weakness  him- 
self it  was  an  indisposition  to  kill 
anything  for  food,  such  as  a  beef 
or  hog  or  chicken.  Others  could 
kill  if  they  chose,     but  he  would 
do  without  flesh  to  eat  all  of  his 
natural  life  before  he  would  take 
the  life  of  anything  for  food.  And 
accustomed      to    hard    labor       he 
never  shirked  the  hardest  place  up- 
on his  farm,  and  then  in  that  day 
farming  was  not  as  profitable  as  it 
might  have     been.     I     remember 
hearing  him    tell     of   raising   one 
year  a  corn  crop  which  when  gath- 
ered,  shelled  and  sacked,  had  to 


be  hauled  in  wagons  17  miles.  His 
crop  that  year  (to  sell)  was  100 
bushels,  for  which  he  received  a 
$10  bank  note,  and  it  proved  to  be 
a  counterfeit,  and  the  man  would 
not  take  it  back.  In  telling  this 
circumstance  he  said  it  was  hard 
to  ever  forgive  that  fellow.  In 
his  personal  habits  he  was  sys- 
tematic and  orderly,  was  rather 
averse  to  fashionable  dressing  and 
finery;  while  very  unaffected  and 
unassuming  he  always  graced  the 
pulpit  with  dignity,  and  while  ex- 
tremely social  with  all  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact,  he  was  always 
dignified  and  genteel. 

He  held  moral  character  in  very 
high  esteem ;  have  often  heard  him 
say  that  morality  was  a  large  half 
of  Christianity.  He  especially 
disliked  untruth  and  deceit. 

He  respected  the  opinions  of 
those  who  differed  with  him  so- 
cially, politically  or  religiously, 
but  tied  himself  down  to  no  man's 
theories,  notions  nor  opinions, 
carefully  investigated  for  himself 
all  subjects  and  doctrines  that  pre- 
sented themselves  or  came  up  for 
solution  or  consideration.  And  in 
all  those  60  years  of  public  life 
was  not  sidetracked,  but  kept 
steadily  on,  right  on.  And  in 
those  years  very  many  theories 
and  fads  flourished  and  grew  fat, 
for  instance,  Millerism,  which  al- 
most run  the  country  wild,  Mor- 
monism  which  carried  off  its 
scores  and  hundreds  to  Nauvoo 
and  Salt  Lake,  Spiritualism  which 


30 


UFK  AND  LABORS  OF 


swept  this  country  like  wild  fire 
and  in  places  took  whole  commu- 
nities, but  our  leader  pursued  the 
even  tenor  of  his  way,  and  turned 
neither  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the 
left.  He  was  quick  to  discover 
truth,  and  equally  quick  to  detect 
error.  In  argument  he  was  logi- 
cal and  scholarly,  and  above  all 
intensely  scriptural.  He  was  mas- 
ter of  his  text  book,  the  Bible, 
quoting  whole  chapters  from  mem- 
ory. He  moved  around  among  its 
promises,  its  parables  and  its  mira- 
cles, as  familiarly  as  friend  with 
friend.  Nor  is  its  history,  law, 
poetry  or  prophesy  any  the  more 
perplexing.  Truly  a  man  of  God, 
and  learnedly  learned  in  the  deep 
things  of  his  word.  It  was  a  real 
pleasure  to  sit  and  hear  him  ex- 
pound the  Bible,  to  unravel  the  in- 
tricate and  perplexing  questions 
that  almost  defy  solution.  And  with 
the  lapse  of  years  there  seemed  to 
be  no  abatement  of  his  intellec- 
tual forces,  but  to  almost  82  years 
of  age  his  mind  was  as  clear  and 
as  active  as  at  50.  He  attended 
Quarterly  Meetings  in  his  last 
years  and  took  as  profound  inter- 
est in  them  as  before,  in  fact  such 
a  meeting  was  held  at  his  old 
home  church  at  Percy,  111.,  on  Fri- 
day, Saturday  and  Sunday  before 
he  died  on  Monday.  All  of  its 
sessions  he  attended,  except  Sun- 
day night,  and  took  his  wanted  in- 
terest in  the  business  of  the  ses- 
sion. A  discussion  upon  the  pro- 
priety of  establishing  a  religious 


newspaper  in  the  bounds  of  the 
Central  Illinois  Yearly  Meeting 
was  before  the  body,  and  he  spoke 
upon  the  subject,  which  was  both 
prophetic  and  pointed.  He  intro- 
duced his  remarks  by  saying,  "My 
work  is  finished,  and  I  have  noth- 
ing more  to  do,  but  if  I  was  a 
young  man  I  should  not  hesitate 
a  moment,  but  know  what  I  should 
do."  And  then  pointing  to  the 
clerk  of  the  Quarterly  Meeting 
said,  "If  I  was  you  I  would  start 
the  proposed  paper."  And  so  with 
any  business  of  importance  that 
was  considered  he  took  the  same 
lively  interest  as  in  former  years. 

The  eighty-two  years  had  not 
whitened  his  hair,  and  bent  liis 
form  and  bowed  his  head,  as  is 
most  generally  the  case.  His  step 
had  grown  unsteady,  which  was 
the  most  visible  sign  of  advancing 
age,  but  in  spite  of  all  those  many 
years  of  activity,  mentally  and  phy- 
sically, he  was  a  remarkably  well 
preserved  man.  I  have  often 
heard  him  ask  the  Lord  that  when 
he  came  to  die  he  might  retain  his 
mind.  And  it  would  seem  this  his 
prayer  was  answered  and  his  de- 
sire granted,  for  he  passed  away 
without  a  struggle. 

The  Quarterly  Meeting  was  to 
close  that  night  with  a  sermon, 
preceded  by  the  young  people's  A. 
C.  F.  Society,  and  as  the  church 
was  crowded  to  overflowing,  hun- 
dreds being  turned  away,  I  remain- 
ed at  the  house  to  talk  with  him 
and  mother  until  the  young  peo- 


REV.   HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


31 


pie's  meeting  was  over,  so  stayed 
until  about  7  o'clock,  and  upon  bid- 
ding them  good-by,  for  I  was  going 
home  on  the  night  train  after 
church  was  over,  he  holding  on  to 
my  hand  complimented  my  sermon 
that  I  had  delivered  that  day  at  1 1 
o'clock,  which  was  the  first  time 
in  my  thirty  years  that  I  had  stood 
by  him  in  the  pulpit  he  had  ever 
said  a  word  complimentary  or  oth- 
erwise about  my  preaching.  I 
went  down  to  the  church,  and  two 
of  the  neighbors,  J.  S.  Weedon 
and  Isaac  Rury,  who  could  not  get 
in  the  church,  called  at  the  house, 
and  they  spent  about  an  hour  talk- 
ing on  the  Sunday  school  lesson, 
in  which  he  took  the  leading  part, 
explaining  some  Scriptures  hard 
to  understand.  And  immediately 
upon  their  departure  the  old  folks 
retired.  He  slept  like  a  child  all 
night,  and  the  next  morning  at  6 
o'clock  he  complained  of  being 
cold.  Sister  Mary  Grizzell  had 
stayed  all  night,  being  in  attend- 
ance at  the  Quarterly  Meeting. 
She  and  mother  did  what  they 
could  to  make  him  comfortable, 
but  in  an  hour  he  was  unconscious 
and  died  the  following  evening, 
doubtless  without  a  pain,  at  least 
without  a  struggle.  I  was  noti- 
fied and  was  early  at  his  side  next 


morning,  and  as  I  watched  the 
"last  sands  falling  from  the  hour 
glass,"  and  saw  that  life  going  out, 
which  could  rise  to  the  dignity  of 
founding  and  leading  a  denomina- 
tion to  victory,  or  stoop  to  relieve 
the  smallest  want  of  his  helpless 
child,  I  felt  that  his  prayer,  "give 
me  a  peaceful  hour  in  which  to 
die,*'  had  been  fully  answered. 

It  was  meet  that  a  life  so  well 
rounded  up  should  spend  his  last 
waking  hour  on  earth  talking  and 
teaching  from  the  Book.  He  was 
held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who 
knewr  him,  old  and  young.  Every- 
one who  approached  his  door  re- 
ceived a  hearty  and  a  cordial  greet- 
ing, and  the  very  large  funeral  cor- 
tege that  followed  his  remains  to 
the  grave  was  a  fitting  expression 
of  the  affection  that  thus  found  ut- 
terance. The  funeral  services  were 
appropriately  conducted  by  Rev. 
J.  C.  Gilliland,  T.  O.  McMinn  and 
-  at  the  old  home 
church  at  Percy,  111.,  where  his 
voice  had  been  so  often  heard  for 
almost  half  a  century,  speaking 
words  of  encouragement  and 
hopefulness  to  afflicted  and  sor- 
rowing humanity.  January  I2th, 
1898,  we  laid  him  to  rest  under  the 
wide  spreading  limbs  of  a  sturdy 
old  oak  in  the  Jones  grave  yard, 
one  mile  west  of  Percy  111. 


32 


LIFE  AND  LABOKS  OF 


NANCY  GORDON. 

NANCY  GORDON, 

Widow  of  Rev.  H.  S.  Gordon,  to 
whom  she  was  married  November 
6th,  1849,  daughter  of  Robt.  and 
Mary  Gooding.  She  was  born 
March  4th,  1820.  Married  John 
Hill  in  1840;  had  one  child.  Her 
husband  died,  and  by  her  last  mar- 
riage five  boys  were  born  to  them, 
which  with  four  step-children, 
made  a  family  of  ten  children,  all 
of  Vv'hom  she  raised  to  manhood 
and  womanhood.  They  lived  on 
the  farm,  and  she  was  a  helpmeet 
to  him  indeed,  both  in  his  ministry 
and  on  the  farm,  for  about  50 
years.  She  still  lives  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  80  years  in  their 
old  home  in  Percy,  111. 


MARY  S.  MACE. 

MARY  S.  MACE, 

The  oldest  child  and  only  daugh- 
ter of  Rev.  H.  S.  and  Rebecca 
Gordon,  born  March  3d,  1838. 
Converted  and  joined  the  Free 
Baptist  church  at  Steeleville 
September  6th,  1851.  United  in 
marriage  with  Hon.  S.  P.  Mace 
March  9th,  1856,  who  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Illinois  Legislature  1876 
to  1878;  the  mother  of  three  sons 
and  one  daughter ;  was  true  to  her 
church  and  faithful  to  her  God  for 
almost  a  half  century.  Removed 
to  St.  Louis  with  her  family  in 
1880,  where  she  died  December 
3Oth.  1899,  leaving  her  children 
the  example  of  a  well  spent  life. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


REV.  G.  A.  GORDON. 


HARRIET  GORDON. 


REV.  GEO.  A.  GORDON, 

Oldest  son  of  Rev.  H.  S.  and  Re- 
becca Gordon,  born  at  Alton,  111., 
April  I4th,  1842;  lived  at  Percy 
and  Campbell  Hill.  Converted 
April  i8th,  1861.  Married  Harriet 
Glore  December  25th,  1866.  Or- 
dained August,  1868.  Did  pastoral 
and  evangelistic  work  to  1895, 
State  agent  ever  since.  Organ- 
ized a  number  of  churches; 
preached  in  Illinois,  Missouri  and 
Indiana.  Was  delegate  to  General 
Conference  in  1880  at  Wiers,  N. 
H.;  1889  at  Harper's  Ferry,  W. 
Va. ;  1892  at  Lowell,  Mass.;  1895 
at  Winnebago,  Minn.,  and  1898 
at  Ocean  Park,  Me.  A  member  of 
the  General  Conference  Board  for 
10  years,  helped  in  starting  the 
Manning  Bible  School  at  Cairo, 


111.,  and  at  present  editor  of  the 
"Illinois  Free  Baptist,"  and  State 
agent  for  Illinois,  and  resides  at 
Campbell  Hill,  111. 

HARRIET  GORDON, 
Oldest  daughter  of  Jeptha  and 
Margaret  (Crisler)  Glore,  and  wife 
of  Rev.  Geo.  A.  Gordon,  born 
January  26th,  1846,  at  Shiloh  Hill, 
111.  Converted  and  joined  the  Free 
Baptist  Church  at  Steelesville,  111., 
January  ist,  1867.  Has  been  an 
active  worker  in  the  Church  and 
Sunday  school  and  Children's 
Band  ever  since,  and  has  rendered 
her  husband  invaluable  assistance 
in  his  ministry.  While  busied  with 
tlie  cares  of  a  large  household  she 
always  found  time  for  her  church 
work.  She  has  been  a  faithful  and 
true  pastor's  wife. 


34 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


PARKER  Iv.  GORDON. 

PARKER  L.  GORDON, 

Son  of  Rev.  H.  S.  and  Rebecca 
Gordon,  born  September  ist,  1847, 
near  Steeleville,  111.  At  18  entered 
the  army  as  a  drummer,  and  serv- 
ed through  the  Civil  War;  came 
home  and  married;  had  one  son. 
Married  again  and  the  second 
wife  dying,  he  was  married  Oc- 
tober 27th,  1887,  to  Jane  Weedon, 
being  the  third  time.  They  have 
two  children,  whom  they  have 
adopted.  He  united  with  the 
Campbell  Hill  Free  Baptist 
Church  November,  1885,  and  in 
March,  1896,  changed  his  mem- 
bership to  Ava.  He  has  been  all 
his  life  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business.  Now  resides  in  his  com- 
fortable home  in  Ava,  111. 


HENRY  E.  GORDON. 

HENRY  E.  GORDON, 

Second  son  of  Rev.  H.  S.  and  Re- 
becca Gordon,  born  November 
28th,  1844.  Married  S.  Jane  Sau- 
ders  March  25th,  1869.  Was  con- 
verted and  joined  the  Free  Bap- 
tist Church  in  April,  1866,  at 
Steeleville,  111.,  and  served  the 
church  as  clerk  for  a  number  of 
years.  Spent  most  of  his  life  at 
Percy,  111.,  but  later  lived  in  St. 
Louis  for  about  four  years  before 
his  death,  which  occurred  April 
1 8th,  1893,  leaving  a  wife  and  an 
only  son,  Chas.  H.  Gordon,  who 
followed  his  father  on  March  9th, 
1900,  aged  almost  26  years,  leav- 
ing mother,  who  now  resides  at 
Frankfort,  Ind.  Henry  E.  was  for 
a  number  of  years  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Deacons  of  Percy 
church,  at  Percy,  111. 


REV.   HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


35 


DEACON  ABRAM  G.  GORDON. 


DR.  NOEL.  R.  GORDON. 


ABRAM  G.  GORDON, 
Son  of  Rev.  H.  S.  and  Nancy  Gor- 
don, born  November  6th,  1849,  at 
Steeleville,  111.  Converted  and 
joined  the  Free  Baptist  Church 
April,  1866.  Attended  McKendree 
College,  studied  law  and  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1871.  Practiced  his 
profession  ever  since  at  Chester, 
111.  Married  Jane  Short  Novem- 
ber 6th,  1872,  and  they  have 
three  children.  Went  into  the  or- 
ganization of  a  Free  Baptist 
Church  in  Chester  in  1896;  served 
on  the  Board  of  Deacons  since. 
Now  resides  in  Chester,  111. 


DR.  NOEL  R.  GORDON, 
Son  of  Rev.  H.  S.  and  Nancy  Gor- 


don, born  May  I5th,  1851,  at 
Steeleville,  111.  Labored  on  the 
farm.  Attended  district  school; 
graduated  from  McKendree  Col- 
lege at  Lebanon,  111.,  1872.  At- 
tended St.  Louis  Medical  College, 
from  which  he  graduated  in  1875. 
Married  Miss  Emma  Hoskinson, 
of  St.  Joe,  Mo.,  in  1875,  and  has 
two  daughters,  both  married. 
Practiced  medicine  in  Campbell 
Hill,  111.,  from  1875  to  1881 ;  re- 
moved to  Sparta,  111.,  where  he 
continued  his  profession  up  to 
1885,  when  he  took  up  special 
practice  and  located  at  Springfield, 
111.,  where  he  still  resides  and  prac- 
tices as  a  specialist  in  the  treat- 
ment of  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat. 


36 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


CHAS.  S.  GORDON. 

CHAS.  S.  GORDON, 

Son  of  Rev.  H.  S.  and  Nancy  Gor- 
don, born  at  Steeleville,  111.,  March 
19th,  1858.  Received  a  liberal  ed- 
ucation, and  was  united  in  mar- 
rriage  with  Mattie  E.  Hammond. 
Joined  the  Percy  Free  Baptist 
Church  October,  1874.  Been  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business 
most  of  his  life.  Now  resides  in 
Ava,  111.,  with  his  family  of  a  wife 
and  six  children,  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Free  Baptist  Church  at  that 
place. 


MATTIE  E.  GORDON. 

MATTIE  E.  GORDON, 

Wife  of  Chas.  S.  Gordon,  born 
September  I4th,  1860,  in  St.  Louis, 
Mo.  Her  maiden  name  was  Ham- 
mond. She  was  married  September 
I4th,  1880,  the  mother  of  six  chil- 
dren, two  boys  and  four  girls.  She 
joined  the  M.  E.  Church  early  in 
life,  of  which  she  still  remains  a 
member,  and  now  presides  over 
her  little  home,  consisting  of  a 
husband  and  six  happy,  hopeful 
little  ones  in  Ava,  111. 


REV.   HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


37 


DR.  L.  E.  GORDON, 
Adopted  son  of  Rev.  Geo.  A.  and 
Harriet  Gordon,  born  December 
1 9th,  1871.  Received  his  early  edu- 
cation at  Campbell  Hill,  111. ;  grad- 
uated from  the  Dental  Depart- 
ment of  Washington  University 
at  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Married  Evan- 
geline  Rogers  November  ist, 
1893.  Lived  at  Carbondale,  111., 
five  years,  where  he  united  with 
the  M.  E.  Church  and  practiced 
his  profession,  in  which  he  was 
very  proficient.  Removed  to  Me- 
tropolis, 111.,  where  he  was  taken 
sick,  brought  back  home  and  died 
Tune  i  rth.  TOGO. 


-  EVANGELINE  GORDON, 
Wife  of  Dr.  L.  E.  Gordon,  born 
July  29th,  1874,  at  Campbell  Hill, 
111.  Attended  school  at  home  and 
at  Waterloo,  111.,  and  St.  Louis, 
Mo.  Married  Dr.  Gordon  Novem- 
ber ist,  1893,  by  whom  she  bore 
two  sons,  Ralph  Emmerson  and 
Neal  Dow,  the  former  died  No- 
vember 1 5th,  1900,  at  the  age  of 
4  year,  5  month  and  21  days.  She 
united  with  the  M.  E.  Church  at 
Carbondale,  changing  her  mem- 
bership to  Metropolis,  111.,  where 
she  now  resides. 


38 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OP 


REV.  RICHARD  A.  BRADLEY. 

REV.     RICHARD    A.     BRAD- 
LEY, 

Son  of  Joshua  and  Ann  (Giles) 
Bradley,  born  in  Sumner  Co., 
Term.,  January  3d,  1802.  Came  to 
Illinois  early.  Was  converted  and 
joined  the  Looney  Springs  Free 
Baptist  Church  (then  General 
Baptist)  June  23d,  1850,  and  was 
ordained  to  the  Gospel  ministry 
by  Rev.  H.  S.  Gordon  on  the  4th 
Sabbath  in  March,  1852,  and  was 
elected  pastor  the  following 
month.  Served  as  pastor  for  a 
number  of  years ;  represented  his 
county  in  the  Illinois  Legislature 
three  terms,  first  in  1842  to  1844, 
then  to  1846,  and  again  from  1848 
to  1850,  being  I3th,  I4th  and  i6th 
General  Assemblies. 

In  1842  he  was  chairman  of  the 
Committee      on      Elections,      and 


REV.  WM.  BRADLEY. 

presented  a  bill  to  move  the 
county  seat  to  Murphysboro.  In 
1844  was  chairman  of  the  Commit- 
tee on  Public  Buildings  and 
Grounds,  and  presented  a  bill  to 
reduce  the  fees  of  County  Judges, 
Circuit  and  County  Clerks,  County 
Commissioners  and  Justices  of  the 
peace.  In  1848  a  bill  to  charter 
the  Chester  &  Wabash  R.  R.  At- 
tended 48  days,  traveled  on  horse- 
back 400  miles  and  received  for 
the  two  years  $136. 

Married  Elizabeth  Oliver  Oc- 
tober 24th,  1826;  had  9  children. 
Lived  in  Campbell  Hill,  111.,  where 
he  died  April  i6th,  1860,  aged  58 
years  and  3  months. 


REV.  WM.  BRADLEY, 
Son  of  Joshua     and  Ann     (Giles) 
Bradley,      born    in    Sumner      Co., 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


39 


Tenn.,  February  I3th,  1814.  Con- 
verted 1850;  ordained  October, 
1852.  Married  Serena  Draper  in 
1835.  She  died  and  in  18 —  he  mar- 
ried Mrs.  Ross  Reese,  and  died 
August  loth,  1887.  He  preached 
in  Southern  Illinois;  baptized  sev- 
eral hundred  converts  and  helped 
organize  a  great  many  churches. 


A  man  of  wide  acquaintanceship 
and  wonderful  influence.  Twice 
elected  County  Judge  and  once 
Associate  Judge  of  Jackson  Co., 
and  universally  loved  and  respect- 
ed. Did  pastoral  work  principally 
for  35  years.  For  the  last  25  or  30 
years  he  resided  in  Murphysboro, 
111. 


THE  OLD  LOONEY  SPRINGS  CHURCH. 


THE  OLD  LOONEY  SPRINGS 

CHURCH, 

Organized  April  28th,  1850,  by 
Rev.  H.  S.  Gordon,  who  was  its 
first  pastor.  This  being  the  third 
house  built,  the  first  was  built  of 
logs,  the  next  of  boards  and  plas- 
tered inside,  this  of  brick  and  was 
erected  in  1865,  was  36x50  feet 
and  12  feet  high  ;  one-half  mile  east 


of  Campbell  Hill,  111.,  and  was  torn 
down  in  1900,  although  it  had  not 
been  used  since  1883,  when  the 
new  house  was  built  in  town.  The 
original  9  members  were :  Jno. 
McLaughlin,  Jno.  Burlison  and 
Mary  Henry,  Sarah  White,  Serena 
Bradley,  Mary  White,  Nancy  Pet- 
tie,  Jane  Burlison  and  Susan  Har- 
rison. 


40 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OP 


CAMPBELL  HILL  FREE;  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


CAMPBELL  HILL  FREE  BAP- 
TIST  CHURCH, 

Better  known  as  Looney  Springs 
church,  built  in  1883,  at  a  cost  of 
about  $3,000,  and  is  the  first  Free 
Baptist  church  in  this  part  of  the 
State,  and  is  the  one  over  which 
the  difficulty  arose  that  resulted 
in  the  exclusion  of  Rev.  H.  S. 
Gordon  from  the  Close  Baptist 
Church,  and  started  the  movement 
for  Free  Communion  in  -1850. 
Membership  is  about  200,  and  has 
a  neat  five  room  parsonage  ad- 


joining. Its  pastors  have  been 
Rev.  H.  S.  Gordon,  2  years;  R.  A. 
Bradley,  7  years;  Wm.  Bradley, 
ii  years;  H.  S.  Gordon,  2  years; 
Wm.  Bradley,  4  years ;  G.  A.  Gor- 
don, i  year ;  Wm.  Bradley,  I  year ; 
G.  A.  Gordon,  \y2  years;  Wm. 
Bradley,  2l/2  years;  G.  A.  Gor- 
don, i  year ;  J.  W.  Phelps,  2  years ; 
T.  O.  McMinn,  \y2  years;  W.  R. 
Wilson,  i  year;  J.  W.  McMillan, 
i  2-3  years ;  G.  A.  Gordon,  i  year ; 
H.  S.  Gordon,  3  years ;  G.  A.  Gor- 
don I  year;  J.  L.  Meads,  2  years, 
and  A.  J.  Rendleman,  4  years. 


",.• 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


41 


REV.  J.  L.  TATUM. 


S.  EMMA  TATUM, 

WIFE  OF  J.  L.  TATUM. 


REV.  J.  L.  TATUM, 

Born  September  i8th,  1856,  son 
of  Wm.  B.  and  Emily  (Johnson) 
Tatum.  Gained  a  liberal  education 
and  was  a  successful  school  teach- 
er. Converted  at  15  and  joined  the 
Baptist  Church,  and  in  1888  unit- 
ed with  the  Free  Baptist  Church 
at  Percy,  111.  Felt  called  to  preach 
soon  after  conversion,  and  was 
licensed  in  1890,  and  ordained  to 
the  ministry  by  the  Looney 
Springs  Quarterly  Meeting  of 
Free  Baptists ;  served  as  pastor  at 
Percy,  and  has  been  quite  success- 
ful in  evangelistic  work.  Now  re- 
sides at  Percv,  111. 


SUSAN  E.  TATUM, 

Wife  of  Rev.  J.  L.  Tatum,  born 
Covington,  Ky.,  September  3oth, 
1856,  daughter  of  W.  H.  and  In- 
diana (Minter)  Stephens.  She  was 
married  to  W.  J.  Robins  March 
27th,  1879.  He  died  October  28th, 
1881,  and  she  married  Rev.  J.  L. 
Tatum  July  8th,  1885,  and  is  the 
mother  of  six  children.  Was  con- 
verted and  joined  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  at  Percy,  111.,  in  1888,  with 
which  church  she  is  still  a  faithful 
member,  and  president  of  the 
Woman's  Missionary  Society. 


42 


LIFE;  AND  LABORS  OF 


REV.  GEO.  C.  BAGWILL. 


MARY  J.  BAGWILL, 

WIFE  OF  REV.  GEO.  C.  BAGWILL. 


REV.   GEO.   C.  BAGWILL, 

Son  of  Daniel  and  Sarah  Bagwill, 
born  at  Campbell  Hill,  111.,  Sep- 
tember Hth,  1870.  Received  a 
common  school  education,  and 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary 
Jane  Higgins  December  3ist, 
1891.  Joined  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  at  Murphysboro,  111.,  in 
1893,  and  was  licensed  to  preach 
in  1894,  and  ordained  in  1898,  and 
has  done  local  work  most  of  the 
time  since.  On  September  ist, 
1900,  he  was  appointed  president 


of  the  seventh  sub-district  U.  M. 
W.  of  A.,  and  resides  with  his 
wife  and  three  little  children  at 
Percv,  111. 


MARY  J.  BAGWILL, 

Wife  of  Rev.  Geo.  C.  Bagwill, 
born  January  I2th,  1875,  and  was 
married  December  3ist,  1891. 
Was  converted  and  united  with 
the  Free  Baptist  Church  at  Mur- 
physboro, 111.,  in  1893,  of  which 
church  she  is  still  a  faithful  mem- 
ber. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


43 


DEACON  WM.  C.  McCORMICK. 


MARTHA  E.  McCORMICK. 


DEACON  WM.  C.  McCOR- 
MICK, 

Born  August  2d,  1832,  in  Indiana, 
.son  of  A.  G.  and  Frances  McCor- 
mick,  came  to  Illinois  in  1837. 
Married  Martha  E.  Talbot  Janu- 
ary I4th,  1858,  lived  on  their  farm 
near  Dry  Hill  for  41  years ;  raised 
a  large  family  of  children,  six  of 
whom  are  living.  For  27  years  he 
has  been  a  worthy  member  of  the 
Free  Baptist  Church.  He  has  ac- 
ceptably filled  the  office  of  deacon 
for  many  years,  and  for  twenty 
years  has  been  superintendent  of 
the  Sunday  school.  Served 
through  the  Civil  War,  and  was 
seriously  wounded  at  the  siege  of 


Atlanta  August  2Oth,    1864.   Now 
living  a  retired  life  at  Ava,  111. 


MARTHA  E.  McCORMICK, 

Wife  of  Deacon  Wm.  C.  McCor- 
mick  and  daughter  of  Wm.  E.  and 
Elizabeth  (Grain)  Talbot,  born 
October  27th,  1841,  in  Jackson 
Co.,  111.  Married  January  I4th, 
1858;  the  mother  of  ten  children, 
six  of  whom  are  now  living.  She 
joined  the  Free  Baptist  Church 
at  Dry  Hill,  111.,  at  its  organiza- 
tion and  for  many  years  was  clerk 
of  the  Church,  and  an  active 
Sunday  school  worker,  and  a  true 
helpmeet  to  her  husband  in  the 
church  work. 


44 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


C.  M.  BRADLKY  AND  WIFE. 


C.  M.  BRADLEY, 

Oldest  son  of  Jas.  H.  and  Ruth 
(Culley)  Bradley,  born  near  Shi- 
loh  Hill,  111.,  Jan.  26th,  1848.  Was 
converted  and  joined  the  Free 
Baptist  Church  at  Sugar  Hill, 
Jackson  Co.,  111.,  in  1865.  Was  for 
a  number  of  years  a  member  of 
De  Soto  Church,  but  for  the  past 
few  years  of  Murphysboro  Church. 
United  in  marriage  with  Mary  E. 


Bandy  December  i2th,  1867.  She 
was  born  in  Herrin's  Prairie,  Wil- 
liamson Co.,  111.,  August  8th,  1846. 
Came  to  De  Soto  and  was  there 
married.  Joined  the  M.  E.  Church 
in  1858,  and  in  March,  1878,  united 
with  the  De  Soto  Free  Baptist 
Church.  They  have  raised  a  large 
family,  and  now  reside  in  Mur- 
physboro, where  he  has  a  prosper- 
ous business. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


45 


REV.  MORRILI,  A.    SHBPARD. 

REV.  MORRILL  A.  SHEPARD 

Was  born  of  old  Puritan  stock 
September  2/th,  1833.  His  parents 
came  from  New  Hampshire  to 
what  is  now  known  as  Linn,  Wa- 
bash  Co.,  111.,  the  same  year,  and 
lived  in  that  vicinity  for  33  years. 
In  order  to  give  his  children  the 
advantages  of  an  education  he  re- 
moved to  Lebanon,  111.,  in  1871. 
July  7th,  1857,  he  married  Miss 
Mary  J.  Moorhead.  They  had  four 
children,  two  died  in  infancy; 
Olive  Belle  and  John  A.  are  still 
living.  He  was  converted  January 
28th,  1858,  and  was  licensed  to 
preach  in  1863,  and  was  ordained 
in  1865  by  the  Freewill  Baptists  of 
Bone  Gape,  Edwards  county,  111. 
On  November  23d,  1887,  he  ex- 
perienced the  blessing  of  sanctifi- 
cation ;  from  that  time  he  has  been 
quite  active  in  Christian  work.  In 
1888  he  was  instrumental  in  get- 
ing  Rev.  J.  N.  Noble,  Belle  D.  Sis- 
son  (now  Smith)  and  Carrie  M. 


MARY  JANE  SHEPARD. 

Nichols  to  come  from  the  east  to 
Illinois,  where  they  engaged  very 
successfully  in  evangelistic  tent 
work,  which  under  his  direction 
proved  a  great  blessing.  The  past 
12  years  has  been  largely  in  evan- 
gelistic work;  has  traveled  and 
preached,  especially  emphasizing 
the  doctrine  of  holiness.  His  pres- 
ent wife  was  formerly  Mrs.  Mary 
E.  Griffin.  He  was  three  times  a 
delegate  to  the  General  Confer- 
ence, attending  the  Centennial 
Session  in  1880  at  the  Weirs  in 
New  Hampshire.  Died  Jan.  31, 
1901,  at  Grand  Bay,  Ala. 

MARY  JANE  SHEPARD, 

Oldest  daughter  of  Major  Jno.  T. 
and  Jane  Moorehead,  born  near 
New  Harmony,  Ind.,  June  2d, 
1831.  Married  to  Rev.  M.  A. 
Shepard  July  7th,  1857.  Mother  of 
four  children,  two  living,  Olive  B., 
and  John  A.  She  died  March  I5th, 
1898,  and  was  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  M.  E.  Church  from  her 
1 2th  year. 


46 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


REV.  THOS.  O.  Me  MINN. 

REV.  THOS.  O.  McMINN, 
Son  of  Jno.  and  Elizabeth  (Black) 
McMinn,  born  in  Jackson  Co.,  111., 
December  2Oth,  1852.  Converted 
when  17  years  of  age,  joined  the 
Free  Baptist  Church  at  Freewill, 
baptized  by  Rev.  W.  H.  Blanken- 
ship.  Married  July  3ist,  1872,  to 
Georgia  Ann  Blankenship ;  again 
June  2Qth,  1879,  to  Sarah  E. 
Hampton;  again  June  8th  1898,  to 
Ida  Elsey.  Ordained  November 
loth,  1875.  Was  a  member  of  the 
1883  General  Conference  at  Min- 
neapolis, and  in  1895  at  Winneba- 
go,  Minn.  Preached  continuously 
since  ordination.  Organized  sev- 
eral churches,  and  still  active  in 
pastoral  work.  Now  resides  at 
Murphysboro ;  has  nine  children, 
the  oldest  son  is  in  the  ministry. 


REV.  A.  J.  RENDI,EMAN. 

REV.  A.  J.  RENDLEMAN. 
Son  of  Harris  and  Elizabeth 
(Knight)  Rendleman,  was  born  in 
Williamson  Co.,  111.,  March  3. 
1867.  He  was  converted  Novem- 
ber 22,  1887,  and  joined  the  Drury 
Free  Baptist  Church.  Taught 
eleven  terms  in  the  public  schools. 
Was  licensed  to  preach  April, 
1894;  ordained  July,  1895.  Has 
ministered  to  Drury,  Camp  Creek, 
Cottage  Home  and  Meads  Chapel 
churches  and  since  1896  has  pas- 
tored  Campbell  Hill  and  Pipestone 
churches,  and  is  also  pastor  of 
Willisville  church,  which  he  or- 
ganized July,  1899.  Has  baptized 
223  converts.  He  was  married  to 
Miss  Maggie  Monroe  April  29, 
1887.  Four  children  have  blessed 
their  home,  three  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


47 


REV.  J.  J.  TATUM. 

REV.  J.  J.  TATUM, 

Son  of  Wm.  B.  and  Emily  (John- 
son) Tatum,  born  at  Steelesville, 
111.,  May  22d,  1863.  Married  Tlet- 
tie  K.  Mason  June  22d,  1886.  Con- 
verted August  1 6th,  1877,  and 
joined  the  Close  Baptists,  but  never 
did  believe  their  doctrine,  and  was 
reclaimed  and  united  with  the  Free 
Baptists  at  Campbell  Hill  January 
ist,  1889.  Licensed  to  preach  July 
1 3th,  1889,  and  ordained  Septem- 
ber, 1893.  He  has  been  actively 
engaged  in  pastoral  work  ever 
since,  and  has  for  the  past  four 
years  been  pastor  of  the  Ava 
church,  where  with  his  family  he 
resides  in  the  beautiful  six-room 


REV.  JOE  A.  COCHRAN. 

two-story  parsonage  which  the 
church  built  through  his  instru- 
mentality. 


REV.   JOE   A.   COCHRAN, 

The  son  of  J.  A.  and  Susan  Coch- 
ran,  was  born  in  Runnells  Co., 
Mo.,  October  I4th,  1869;  was 
converted  and  joined  the  Free 
Baptist  Church  in  November, 
1889;  baptized  by  Rev.  A.  J, 
Lyons;  licensed  to  preach  in  1891, 
and  was  ordained  in  1897.  Labored 
some  as  an  evangelist ;  now  a  pas- 
tor in  the  Wayne  Co.  Quarterly 
Meeting.  Married  Miss  Lenora 
Schee  in  1898,  and  lives  at  Long 
Prairie,  111. 


48 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


MURPHYSBORO    CHURCH. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


49 


MURPHYSBORO   CHURCH, 

Organized  February  iQth,  1875, 
by  Revs.  G.  A.  Gordon  and  F.  W. 
Newell,  20  members;  J.  H.  Brad- 
ley and  F.  W.  Smith  deacons,  C. 
C.  Culley  clerk,  G.  A.  Gordon  pas- 
tor. 1885  discontinued  meetings. 
Reorganized  June  21  st,  1893.  by 
Revs.  J.  L.  Meads,  G.  P.  Mc- 
Bride  and  G.  A.  Gordon,  with  12 
members :  Mollie  Benson,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lem  Pate,  Geo.  C.  Bag- 
will,  Lillian  B.  Phoenix,  Lizzie 
Snider,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Pout- 
son,  Leander  Bradley,  Susan 
Bradley,  Missouri  Berry  and  Bet- 
tie  A.  Phoenix.  In  this  meeting 


90  persons  united  with  the  Church. 
Under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  J.  L. 
Meads  the  church  grew,  and  in 
1895  they  began  to  build,  Rev.  G. 
P.  McBride,  pastor.  On  April  23d, 
1896,  this  building  was  dedicated. 
Dr.  H.  M.  Ford  delivered  the  ser- 
mon. September,  1898,  Rev.  J.  L. 
Meads  was  called  as  pastor  again 
and  remained  two  years.  The  pres- 
ent pastor  is  Rev.  T.  O.  McMinn. 
The  church  sustains  weekly  ser- 
vices, Sabbath  school,  prayer 
meeting  and  A.  C.  F.  society. 

It  has  had  frequent  revivals  and 
earned  for  itself  a  reputation  for 
spirituality,  cleanliness  and  power. 


50 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


HON.  J.  H.  BRADLEY. 


RUTH  JANE  BRADLEY. 


JUDGE  JAMES  H.  BRADLEY, 

Born  August  22d,  1821,  in  Ran- 
dolph county,  111.,  the  son  of  Jas. 
H.  and  Martha  Bradley.  Married 
to  Miss  Ruth  J.  Culley  July  2d, 
1844.  To  them  were  born  fourteen 
children,  five  of  whom  are  living. 
He  enlisted  September,  1861,  and 
spent  almost  four  year  in  the 
Civil  War.  On  his  return  home  he 
united  with  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  at  DeSoto,  under  the  la- 
bors of  Rev.  Wm.  Bradley,  and 
was  faithful  until  his  death,  Aug- 
ust 22d,  1888.  He  was  a  lawyer, 
professionally,  and  an  ultra  pro- 
hibitionist. 


RUTH  JANE  BRADLEY 

Was  born  in  Posey  Co.,  Ind.,  Jan- 
uary 23d,  1828.  Daughter  of  Jo- 
siah  and.  Elizabeth  Culley.  Married 
to  James  H.  Bradley  July  2d, 
1844.  To  them  was  born  fourteen 
children,  five  still  living.  Aunt 
Jane  united  with  the  Looney 
Springs  church  in  1850;  was  con- 
verted under  the  preaching  of  Un- 
cle Henry  S.  Gordon,  and  has  been 
true  to  her  Church  all  these  years 
and  faithful  to  her  God.  Still  lives 
at  De  Soto,  Til. 


REV.   HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


51 


REV.  J.  L,.  MEADS. 

REV.  JOSEPH  LEVI  MEADS, 

Son  of  G.  W.  and  H.  L.  (Hatfield) 
Meads,  born  February  25th,  1868, 
at  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Family  removed 
to  Murphysboro,  111.,  and  in  1874 
to  Ava.  Converted  and  united  with 
the  Ava  Free  Baptist  Church  in 
1886;  licensed  in  1889  and  or- 
dained to  preach  July  I2th,  1889. 
Organized  Murphysboro,  Chester, 
Marion,  Creal  Springs,  Carter- 
ville,  Bushnell  and  other  Free 
Baptist  churches.  Received  2,000 
or  more  into  the  Church ;  baptized 
over  700;  served  Camp  Creek, 
Sato,  Ava,  Campbell  Hill  and 
Murphysboro  churches  as  pastor, 
and  now  at  Chester.  Delegate  to 
General  Conference  in  1892  at 
Lowell,  Mass.,  and  delegate-elect 
to  next  General  Conference  at 
Harpers  Ferry,  W.  Va.  Married  in 
1893  to  Stella  M.  Waldo,  of  Ben- 
ton,  111. 

Politically  he  is  a   radical   Pro- 
hibitionist. 


MRS.  STELLA  M.  MEADS, 

WIFE  OF  REV.  J.  L.  MEADS. 

STELLA  M.  MEADS, 

Daughter  of  Richard  E.  and  Jen- 
nie (Spence)  Waldo,  born  De- 
cember, 1867,  in  Marion  Co.,  111. 
United  in  marriage  with  Rev.  J. 
L.  Meads  May  loth,  1893  '•>  to  them 
have  been  born  five  children,  two 
of  whom  are  dead.  She  was  con- 
verted and  united  with  the  M.  E. 
Church  at  15  years  of  age.  After 
marriage  she  united  with  the  Free 
Baptist  Church  and  was  baptized 
by  her  husband  in  Campbell  Hill 
church.  When  16  years  old  she  be- 
gan teaching  school,  also  instru- 
mental and  vocal  music,  and  al- 
though now  busied  with  the  cares 
of  a  family,  she  still  finds  time  to 
render  invaluable  aid  to  her  hus- 
band in  the  work  of  the  Church, 
where  her  musical  talent  is  great- 
ly blessed. 

<j*  Of  ILL  UB. 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


REV.  S.  L.  MORRIS. 

REV.  S.  L.  MORRIS, 

Born  in  Ohio  in  1856.  Converted 
at  13  years  of  age;  joined  the  M. 
E.  Church  at  23 ;  entered  the  min- 
istry at  28,  and  later  joined  the 
Free  Baptist  Church  at  Ava  in 
1896.  Ordained  in  1897,  at  Ta- 
maroa,  111.,  and  has  done  pastoral 
work  ever  since ;  organized  Lone 
Oak  church,  and  now  pastor  of 
Tamaroa  church.  Was  married  to 
Josephine  David  in  1879,  an^  has 
three  children,  and  now  lives  at 
Tamaroa,  111. 

REV.  JNO.  w.  MCMILLAN, 

Oldest  son  of  Thos.  and  Sarah  A. 
McMillan,  born  in  Meade  Co., 


RE;V.  JNO.  w.  MCMILLAN. 

Ky.,  in  1844.  Came  to  Illinois  in 
1859.  Converted  and  joined  the 
M.  E.  Church  March  3d,  1860.  Li- 
censed in  1870;  united  with  the 
Free  Baptist  Church  at  Campbell 
Hill  and  ordained  January,  1866, 
and  took  up  Pastoral  work; 
served  Camp  Creek,  Dry  Hill, 
Sato,  Campbell's  Hill,  Pleasant 
Ridge,  Pate's  Chapel,  De  Solo, 
Drury,  Kinkaid,  Marion,  Union 
and  Oak  Valley  churches  as  pas- 
tor. Was  appointed  Yearly  Meet- 
ing Evangelist  in  1895,  sevred  9 
months,  but  had  to  give  it  UD  on 
account  of  throat  trouble.  Xow 
lives  in  Campbell  Hill  with  his 
family. 


REV.  HKNRY  S.  GORDON. 


53 


REV.  GILES  P.  McBRIDE. 

REV.  GILES  P.  McBRIDE, 
Born  March  4th,  1867,  near  Ava, 
111.  Professed  faith  in  God  at  the 
age  of  20  years ;  joined  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  at  Ava;  elected 
elder;  not  satisfied  with  baptism 
united  with  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  and  was  licensed  to  preach 
January,  1891,  and  ordained  the 
following  May.  United  in  mar- 
riage with  Clara  Russell  Septem- 
ber 2Oth,  1892.  Has  served  Marion, 
Creal  Springs,  De  Soto,  Murphys- 
boro  and  Chester  churches  as  pas- 
tor. Labored  as  Yearly  Meeting 
evangelist  two  years ;  done  consid- 
erable evangelistic  work ;  organ- 
ized several  churches  and  A.  C.  F. 
societies ;  built  two  churches  and 
is  acting  as  State  agent  for  the 
State  of  Indiana  now.  Is  a  Free 
Baptist  and  a  Prohibitionist. 


CLARA  RUSSEL  McBRIDE. 

CLARA  RUSSEL  McBRIDE, 
Wife  of  Rev.  G.  P.  McBride,  born 
September  7th,  1870,  near  Carter- 
ville,  111.  Her  father  died  when 
she  was  four  years  old,  and  at  12 
she  had  to  make  her  own  living 
working  summers  for  small  wages, 
winters  for  board  and  schooling; 
attended  school  at  Carterville  and 
Carbondale;  taught  her  first 
school  at  the  age  of  17.  Was  con- 
verted in  July,  1891,  at  a  tent 
meeting  held  by  Meads  and  Mc- 
Bride; joined  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  and  was  baptized  the 
same  month.  Married  September 
2Oth,  1892,  and  is  the  mother  of 
four  children,  R.  Gordon,  Beulah 
Ev  Wendell  S.,  and  Ralph  W.  Is 
verv  active  in  church  work. 


54 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


REV.  J.  A.  JONES. 

REV.  JAS.  A.  JONES 

Was  born  November     26th,  1853, 
in  Williamson  Co.,  111.,  the  son  of 
John  and  Purlina  Jones.  Received 
a  fair     education,     taught     school 
and  attended  college,  and  is  now 
teaching  his  34th  term.     He  em- 
braced religion  in  1874,  and  joined 
Harmony  Free  Baptist  Church  in 
May,  1876,  and  was  its  clerk  many 
years;     was     clerk     of     Makanda 
Quarterly     Meeting      for       seven 
years,  was  licensed  to  preach  Feb- 
ruary,    1892,     and  was     ordained 
September,  1892;  has  had  the  pas- 
toral care  of  a  number  of  churches, 
and  is  still  actively  engaged  in  the 
ministry.  Married  Miss  Ellen  Grif- 


ELLEN  JONES. 


fin  April  3d,  1879,  and  is  the 
happy  father  of  two  girls  and  two 
boys. 


ELLEN  JONES, 

Wife  of  Rev.  J.  A.  Jones,  was  born 
May  2d,  1858,  in  Franklin  Co., 
111.  Attended  the  district  school. 
Was  converted  April  i8th,  1874, 
under  the  preaching  of  Sister 
Emma  Snider;  united  with  Har- 
mony Free  Baptist  Church  May, 
1875,  and  has  continued  a  true  and 
consistent  member.  Married  April 
3d,  1879,  and  has  had  five  chil- 
dren ;  one  died  in  infancy,  the  oth- 
ers remain  at  home  in  Christo- 
pher, 111. 


REV.   HENRY  S.    GORDON. 


55 


REV.  CHAS.  T.  ROGERS. 

REV.  CHAS.  T.  ROGERS 

Was  born  at  Fort  Scott,  Kan.,  July 
4th,  1866;  removed  to  Florida  in 
1879,  and  to  Wayne  county,  111., 
in  1895 ;  the  following  winter  was 
converted  and  joined  the  Free 
Baptist  Church  at  Johnsonville, 
111.,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  T. 
O.  McMinn,  by  whom  he  was  bap- 
tized. Licensed  to  preach  at  the 
May  Quarterly  Meeting  following. 
Was  ordained  September,  1896, 
and  is  one  of  our  best  young  pas- 
tors. He  married  Orra  E.  Alvis, 
who  is  indeed  a  true  preacher's 
wife,  cheering  and  encouraging 
her  husband  in  work  for  the  salva- 
tion of  souls.  Has  pastoral  care 
of  four  churches,  and  lives  at  Fair- 
field,  111. 


REV.  H.  M.  TURNEY. 

REV.  H.  M.  TURNEY 

Was  born  May  17,  1850,  in  Louis- 
ville, Ky.  For  many  years  was 
a  traveling  salesman.  Through 
the  social  glass  he  became  the  vic- 
tim of  strong  drink.  March  ist, 
1891,  found  him  in  the  docks  of 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  a  total  wreck — 
home,  friends,  reputation  all  gone. 
Homeless,  friendless,  Godless,  he 
found  his  way  into  the  floating 
Bethel,  where  he  was  saved,  and 
immediately  began  telling  the  won- 
ders of  grace ;  joined  the  Free  Bap- 
tist Church,  and  was  ordained  Oc- 
tober ist,  1899.  Is  at  present 
Yearly  Meeting  evangelist  of  the 
Central  Illinois  Yearly  Meeting. 
God  has  used  him  in  the  salvation 
of  manv  souls. 


56 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


REV.  J.  B.  DAVIS  AND  MARTHA  J.  DAVIS. 


REV.  J.  B.  DAVIS 

Was  born  in  Jackson  Co.,  111., 
January  loth,  1837.  A  son  of 
Richard  Davis.  Joined  the  army 
in  1861 ;  served  four  years  in  the 
Civil  War.  United  in  marriage 
with  Francis  Spurgeon  in  March, 
1866.  Converted  and  joined  the 
Baptist  Church  in  November, 
1866;  baptized  by  Rev.  Wm.  Car- 
ner.  Moved  to  Denmark,  111.,  in 
September,  1871,  and  joined  the 
Free  Baptist  Church ;  was  ordain- 
ed April,  1888,  at  the  Quarterly 
Meeting  at  Dry  Hill.  Has  had  the 
pastoral  care  of  Pipestone,  Du 
Quoin,  De  Soto  and  Macedonia 
churches.  Wife  died  and  married 


again  to  Mrs.  M.  J.  Benedict,  and 
lives  at  Denmark,  111. 


MRS.  M.  J.  DAVIS, 

Wife  of  Rev.  J.  B.  Davis,  born 
May  1 6th,  1849,  m  Washington 
Co.,  111.  Was  raised  by  her  uncle, 
and  in  1868  was  married  to  S. 
Benedict.  He  died,  and  in  1896  she 
was  again  married,  this  time  to 
Rev.  J.  B.  Davis.  In  1875  she  was 
converted  and  joined  the  Nine  Mile 
Baptist  church,  and  was  baptized 
by  Rev.  P.  Hagler.  On  removing 
to  Denmark,  111.,  she  united  with 
the  Free  Baptist  Church  in  1878, 
where  with  her  husband  she  now 
resides. 


REV.   HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


57 


REV.  BEN  KELLER. 


REV.  SAM'L  T.  ESSICK. 


REV.  BEN  KELLER, 

Born  in  Bedford  Co.,  Tenn.,  Oc- 
tober 2 ist,  1829.  Married  Mary  J. 
Latimer  March  27th,  1851 ;  they 
had  five  children,  four  still  living. 
Converted  October  I3th,  1847. 
Licensed  to  preach  December 
i3th,  1877;  ordained  February 
9th,  1879;  united  with  the  Free 
Baptist  Church  in  1876,  and  died 
April  27th,  1900,  near  Scheller, 
111.,  a  very  devoted,  active  Chris- 
tian man,  beloved  by  all  who  knew 
him. 


REV.  SAM'L  T.  ESSICK 

Was  born  in  1843  m  Pennsylvania. 
He  was  married,  and  died  on  De- 
cember 2nd,  1898,  leaving  a  wife 
and  nine  children.  Was  converted 
and  joined  the  U.  B.  in  Richland 
county,  111.  Moved  to  Jackson 
county  in  1883,  and  united  with  the 
Christian  order,  and  in  both  of 
these  churches  did  good  service  in 
the  Sunday  school  work.  In  1887 
he  joined  the  Free  Baptists  and  was 
ordained  to  preach  the  Gospel 
April  loth,  1892,  after  which  he  was 
pastor  of  different  churches  in  this 
and  adjoining  counties. 


58 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


TAMAROA  CHURCH. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


59 


TAMAROA  CHURCH. 

This  church  was  organized  De- 
cember /th,  1889,  by  Rev.  M.  A. 
Shepard  with  17  members,  the  re- 
sult of  tent  meetings  held  by  him- 
self, Rev.  J.  N.  Noble,  Carrie  Nich- 
ols, Belle  D.  Sisson  and  W.  S. 
Smith,  most  if  not  all  the  member- 
ship believing  in  Bible  holiness. 

Rev.  H.  F.  Carter  was  the  first 
pastor,  until  September,  1890.  Rev. 
J.  F.  Kirk  served  the  church  one 
year  or  until  1891,  then  Rev.  T.  O. 
McMinn  was  called  and  served  the 
church  for  seven  years.  It  was 
prosperous,  enlarged  its  member- 
ship greatly  and  built  a  parsonage 


under  his  pastorate.  Then  Rev.  S. 
L.  Morris  was  chosen  pastor  and  is 
now  entering  on  his  second  year. 
Have  a  nice  church  worth  about 
$1,500,  a  comfortable  parsonage 
worth  about  $800 ;  have  a  prosper- 
ous Sunday  school,  A.  C.  F.  So- 
ciety, W.  F.  M.  Society,  prayer 
meeting  and  Children's  Band ; 
have  given  for  home  and  foreign 
missions  and  education  about 
$415.  Added  to  the  church  since 
organization  about  200.  A  large 
number  of  converts  went  to  other 
churches,  some  have  fallen  by  the 
way.  The  church  is  still  prosper- 
ous. 


60 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


REV.  CHAS.  F.  STALKER. 


SUSAN  C.  STALKER, 

WIFE  OF  REV.  CHAS.  F.  STALKER. 


REV.  CHAS.  F.  STALKER. 

Was  born  in  Du  Quoin,  111., 
June  25th,  1871 ;  a  direct  descend- 
ant of  the  French  Hugenots  who 
so  nobly  bore  the  persecution  in- 
flicted upon  them  by  the  enemies 
of  Christ.  Was  converted  August 
I9th,  1890;  united  with  the  Free 
Baptist  Church  in  November;  be- 
gan preaching  in  1891 ;  ordained 
in  1892;  has  pastorate  of  Percy, 
Rock  Springs,  Pate's  Chapel  and 
Crainville  churches.  Has  used  gos- 
pel wagon,  and  did  other  evangel- 
istic work.  An  expert  chalk  talker, 
he  illustrates  his  sermons  and  lec- 
tures on  the  board.  Married  June 


22d,  1890;  two  children  living, 
three  dead.  With  his  family  now 
resides  at  De  Soto,  111. 


SUSAN    COUNCE     STALKER, 

Wife  of  Rev.  C.  F.  Stalker,  born 
at  De  Soto,  111.,  November  ist, 
1872;  converted  August  2Oth, 
1890;  joined  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  November  following.  Has 
been  consecrated  to  the  cause  of 
Christ  since  receiving  pardon  for 
her  sins,  and  by  her  wisdom  and 
council  has  been  a  tower  of 
strength  to  her  husband  in  the 
great  work  of  the  ministry. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


61 


REV.  J.  C.  GILUI.A.ND. 

REV.  J.  C.  GILLILAND, 

Born  Hth  March,  1833,  in  Mis- 
souri. Converted  in  1847;  joined 
the  M.  E.  Church  and  was  licensed 
in  1849.  In  1863,  being  dissatisfied 
with  infant  baptism,  joined  the 
Hillerites;  in  1864  joined  the  Free 
Baptists  at  Steeleville,  111.  Labor- 
ed as  pastor,  organizer  and  evan- 
gelist. Organized  a  great  many 
churches  in  Wayne,  Jefferson, 
Washington,  Perry  and  Jackson 
counties.  Married  to  Susan  A. 
Waldrop  and  had  two  children. 
She  died  and  he  married  again 
Martha  E.  Johnson.  Now  resides 
on  his  farm  at  Scheller,  111.,  and 


SUSAN  SCOTT. 

is    sorely    afflicted    with    rheuma- 
tism. 


SUSAN   SCOTT, 

Mother  of  Jno.  A.  L.  Scott,  born 
in  Muskingdom  Co.,  Ohio,  near 
Fainsville,  May  3ist,  1823.  Came 
with  her  parents  to  Illinois  in 
1855.  Converted  February,  1870, 
and  entered  the  Orchardville  Free 
Baptist  Church  as  a  charter  mem- 
ber November  4th,  1889,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  humble,  faithful, 
loyal  members  of  the  church,  and 
has  taken  care  of  the  church  since 
its  erection.  Resides  at  Orchard- 
ville, 111.,  with  her  onlv  son. 


62 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


PERCY  CHURCH 


PERCY  CHURCH, 

Erected  in  1873  by  Daniel  Hart- 
ley and  G.  A.  Gordon,  building 
committee,  and  was  first  located 
in  Steeleville,  being  built  there  in 
1851  by  Rev.  H.  S.  Gordon  when 
he  was  excluded  from  the  Mission- 
ary Baptist  Church.  Site  was  re- 
moved to  Percy  when  the  rail- 


roads were  built,  thinking  the 
town  would  doubtless  be  moved. 
Rev.  H.  S.  Gordon  was  pastor  of 
this  church  over  30  years,  G.  A. 
Gordon  10  years,  R.  A.  Bradley, 
Wm.  Bradley,  J.  C.  Gilliland  and 
W.  F.  Newell  and  J.  H.  Bagwill 
one  year  each,  and  the  present 
pastor  is  Rev.  C.  F.  Stalker. 


REV.   HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


63 


REV.  PHILLIP  H.  DOWNING  AND  WIFE. 


REV.  PHILLIP  H.  DOWNING, 

Born  December  I5th,  1851,  in  Jef- 
ferson county,  la.,  son  of  Wm.  D. 
and  Sarah  M.  Downing.  Convert- 
ed in  1872;  joined  the  Newlites, 
afterward  the  Free  Baptist  Church 
in  1895.  Licensed  to  preach  in  the 
same  year,  and  ordained  in  1898. 
Married  Elvina  Snook.  She  died 


and     he     married  again 
Glasco  in  1892. 


to  Evila 


EVILA  DOWNING, 

Wife  of  Rev.  P.  H.  Downing, 
born  January  i6th,  1860,  in  Davis 
county,  la.  Converted  in  1878,  and 
united  with  the  Newlites,  and  in 
1895  joined  the  Free  Baptist 
Church,  and  lives  with  her  hus- 
band at  Do\vning,  111. 


64 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


REV.  JNO.  H.  BAGWIUv. 


REV.  JNO.  H.   BAGWILL, 

Son  of  M.  A.  and  Cynthia  Bagwill, 
was  born  at  Campbell  Hill  Janu- 
ary nth,  1874.  Married  Ollie  M. 
Bradley  June  I2th,  1895.  He  was 
converted  December,  i8qo,  joined 
the  Campbell-  Hill  Free  Baptist 
Church ;  licensed  to  preach  Octo- 
ber ist,  1892,  and  was  ordained 
July  5th,  1895,  by  Revs.  G.  A. 
Gordon,  M.  A.  Shepard,  J.  L. 
Meads  and  J.  W.  McMillan. 

The  greatest  meeting  of  his  life 
was  at  Percy  in  1898;  in  12  days 
120  accessions,  102  baptized — the 
largest  number  baptized  in  any 
one  church  that  year  in  the  de- 
nomination. Resides  at  Marion, 


111.,  and  is  our  pastor  there;  also 
Lone  Oak,  Creal  Springs  and 
Spillertown.  Was  delegate  to 
General  Conference  at  Ocean 
Park,  Me.,  1898. 


OLLIE  M.  BAGWILL, 

Wife  of  Rev.  Jno.  H.  Bagwill  and 
youngest  daughter  of  Jas.  H.  and 
Ruth  J.  Bradley,  was  born  at  De 
Soto,  111.,  June  2ist,  1873;  was 
converted  at  De  Soto  in  1889,  and 
joined  the  Free  Baptist  Church. 
She  was  united  in  matrimony 
June  1 2th,  1895,  with  Rev.  J.  H. 
Bagwill.  Has  done  what  she  could 
in  woman's  missionary  work,  and 
been  of  lasting  benefit  to  her  hus- 
band in  his  ministrv. 


REV.  HENRY  S.   GORDON. 


65 


REV.  R.  C.  ALLEN  AND  MARTHA  E.  ALLEN. 


REV.  ROBT.  C.  ALLEN, 

Son  of  Clement  and  Esther  (Stor- 
mont)  Allen,  born  at  Princeton, 
Ind.,  August  3Oth,  1838.  Came  to 
Illinois  in  1845.  Converted  and 
united  with  the  Reformed  Presby- 
terian Church  in  his  I9th  year. 
Married  Elizabeth  McCollough  in 
1866.  She  died  1871;  married 
again  in  1890  to  Martha  E.  Culley. 
Joined  the  Free  Baptist  Church 
in  Murphy sboro  in  1896.  Was  li- 
censed in  1897;  since  then  has  la- 
bored as  pastor  and  evangelist. 
Now  resides  in  Murphysboro,  111. 


REV.  M.  E.  ALLEN, 

Wife  of  Rev.  R.  C.  Allen,  daugh- 
ter of  Wm.  and  Mary  (Loy)  Car- 
ter, born  in  Jackson  Co.,  111. 
United  with  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  at  Looney  Springs  under 
the  preaching  of  Rev.  Wm.  Brad- 
ley in  her  I3th  year.  Married  to 
C.  C.  Culley  in  1860.  Six  children, 
two  living,  Alva  and  Joel  Culley. 
Married  second  time  to  R.  C. 
Allen  in  1890.  Licensed  to  preach 
in  1897.  Has  been  active  in  the 
Free  Baptist  Woman's  Missionary 
Society,  of  which  she  is  now  sec- 
retary and  treasurer.  Her  only 
daughter  died  September  3oth, 
1899. 


66 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OP 


REV.  THOS.  O.  FRANKUN. 


DEACON  JOHN  LOGAN  FRANKUN. 


RRV.    THOS.   O.    FRANKLIN, 

Son  of  Jno.  Franklin,  born  May 
3Oth,  1840,  in  Franklin  Co.,  111. 
His  father  died  in  1848,  and  he  was 
the  principal  support  of  his  moth- 
er. Entered  the  army  in  Septem- 
ber, 1862,  and  served  to  the  close 
of  the  war.  Was  united  in  marriage 
with  Sarah  W.  Drummond  Sep- 
tember I5th,  1865,  and  they  have 
ten  children.  Converted  in  1863, 
and  joined  the  Hillerites  in  1866; 
was  licensed  to  preach  in  1873.  I*1 
1874  united  with  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  and  ordained  same  year. 
Helped  organize  the  Franklin  Co. 
Quarterly  Meeting,  and  was  its 
clerk.  Now  resides  on  his  farm 
near  Benton,  111. 


DEACON  JOHN  LOGAN 
FRANKLIN, 

Son  of  Rev.  T.  O.  Franklin,  born 
February  26th,  1870,  received  a 
liberal  education,  attended  Ew- 
ing  college  and  Enfield  Normal 
University.  Does  not  remember 
when  he  was  not  a  Christian.  At 
12  joined  the  Palestine  Free  Bap- 
tist Church,  where  he  is  now  clerk 
and  deacon.  Has  been  clerk  of  the 
Franklin  Co.,  Quarterly  Meeting 
for  eight  years.  Was  married  to 
Miss  Etta  B.  Roberts  August 
nth,  1890,  and  now  lives  happily 
with  his  wife  and  three  boys  on 
his  farm  north  of  Benton,  111. 


REV.  HENRY'S.  GORDON. 


67 


DEACON  THOS.  GRIZZEW,  AND  WIFE,  MARY  E. 


DEACON    THOS.     GRIZZELL 
AND  MARY  E.  GRIZZELL 

Was  born  in  Kenton  county,  Ky., 
in  1840.  Moved  to  Illinois  in 
1862;  married  Mary  E.  King  Oc- 
tober 2oth,  1863.  She  was  born  in 
Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  in  1845  5 
brought  to  Illinois  in  infancy.  Both 
have  lived  near  Sato  continuously; 


had  born  to  them  twelve  children, 
only  three  of  whom  are  living. 
Joined  the  Free  Baptist  Church 
soon  after  marriage,  and  have 
lived  faithful,  devoted  lives  ever 
since.  Sister  Grizzell  was  visiting  at 
Father  Gordon's  at  the  time  of  his 
sudden  death,  and  rendered  every 
assistance  that  loving  hands  could 
do. 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


AVA  FREE  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


Organized  by  Revs.  H.  S.  Gordon 
and  Wm.  Bradley  October,  1860, 
with  12  members,  in  an  old  log 
house  west  of  Ava,  111.  Rev.  Wm. 
Bradley  was  pastor  first  four 
years,  Rev.  G.  D.  Ward  four 
years,  Rev.  A.  L.  Asberry  to  Aug. 
1874.  Records  lost  up  to  Jan.,  1886, 
when  Revs.  G.  A.  Gordon  and 
Thos.  O.  McMinn  reorganized  it 
in  Johnson's  old  store  house  with 
1 1  members,  as  follows  :  A.  J.  Griz- 


zell  and  wife,  B.  L.  Culley  and 
wife,  W.  B.  Jernigan  and  wife, 
Gideon  Carr  and  wife,  Lucretia 
Cheatham,  Nancy  Payne  and  Hen- 
rietta M.  Husband.  This  meeting 
continued  for  six  weeks,  closed 
with  82  members.  G.  A.  Gordon 
was  pastor  almost  nine  years,  J. 
L.  Meads  two  years,  and  J.  J.  Ta- 
tum  has  been  the  pastor  since 
1896.  They  built  the  present  house 
in  1890,  near  it  a  neat  two-story 
seven-room  parsonage.  From  this 
church  has  gone  out  some  of  our 
best  and  most  talented  young 
ministers. 


REV.   HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


69 


BENJ.  R.  REDFIELD. 

BENJ.   R.   REDFIELD, 

Born  in  Gilford,  Conn.,  May  nth, 
1821,  came  to  Illinois  September, 
1842,  and  has  lived  on  his  farm 
near  Campbell  Hill  50  years.  Mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Jane  Cheatham 
March  28th,  1849,  ar>d  raised  a 
family  of  eight  children.  Joined 
the  Looney  Springs  Free  Baptist 
Church  February  ist,  1871,  and 
has  been  one  of  its  trustees  for 
many  years,  and  lives  with  his 
youngest  son  on  the  old  farm  near 
Campbell  Hill,  111. 


ELIZABETH  J.  REDFIELD, 

WIFE  OF  BENJ.  R.  REDFIELD. 

ELIZABETH  JANE  RED- 
FIELD, 

Wife  of  Benj.  R.  Redfield,  was  the 
daughter  of  Robison  Cheatham  ; 
was  born  October  3Oth,  1830. 
Died  September  4,  1882. 

She  joined  the  Looney  Springs 
Free  Baptist  Church  February  ist, 
1871,  and  lived  a  consistent  and 
Christian  life ;  left  a  husband  and 
five  children  to  mourn  her  death. 


70 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


DEACON  BURPHET  I,.  CUI^EY  AND  WIFE,  JANE. 


DEACON  BURPHET  L.  CUL- 
LEY  AND  WIFE, 

Born  June  7th,  1830,  at  Mt.  Ver- 
non,  Ind.  Married  Permelia  Clus- 
ter December  loth,  1856,  had  four 
children,  one  girl  and  three  boys. 
Married  again  to  Lucinda  J.  Heg- 
lar  December  22d,  1863.  By  this 
wife  six  boys  and  one  girl.  Joined 


the  Looney  Springs  Free  Baptist 
Church  June,  1858,  and  baptized 
by  Rev.  R.  A.  Bradley  the  follow- 
ing month ;  was  a  member  of  Ava 
church  from  1886,  and  on  its 
Board  of  Deacons  to  the  date  of 
his  death,  June  22d,  1898.  She  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Church 
from  childhood,  and  now  lives  at 
Ava,  111. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


71 


DEACON  WM.  D.  RUSSELL. 


MARY  ETTA  RUSSELL. 


DEACON    WM.    D.    RUSSELL 

Was  born  at  Willisville,  111., 
May  yth,  1864.  Went  to  St.  Louis 
and  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter. 
September  5th,  1889,  married 
Angie  E.  Heiple,  of  De  Soto,  111.; 
had  four  children.  He  and  wife 
joined  the  Free  Baptist  Church  in 
Murphysboro,  111.,  June,  1896,  and 
in  March,  1898,  she  died  and  he 
again  married  September,  1898,  to 
Miss  Mary  Etta  Thompson.  They 
have  one  child.  He  has  been  quite 
an  active  member  of  the  Church 


— chairman  of  the  Official  Board, 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school,  and  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Deacons,  and  now  re- 
sides at  Murphysboro,  111. 


MARY  ETTA  RUSSELL 

Was  born  July  28th,  1873,  near 
Campbell  Hill,  111. ;  moved  to  Mur- 
physboro, 111.,  May  1890;  was 
converted  in  1895;  married  to 
Wm.  D.  Russell  September,  1898, 
and  united  with  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  the  same  year. 


72 


MATHEW  SNIDER. 


ADDIE  SNIDER. 


MADISON    W.  SNIDER 

Was  born  April  5th,  1878  at  Camp- 
bell Hill,  111.  Since  1887  has  resid- 
ed in  Murphysboro,  111.  Was  con- 
verted in  1893,  and  united  with  the 
Free  Baptist  Church,  and  married 
October  I4th,  1897,  to  Miss  Addie 
Butler,  who  was  born  October 


1 5th,  1879,  at  Oraville,  111.;  came 
to  Murphyboro  in  1886,  and  joined 
the  Free  Baptist  Church  in  1893. 
The  former  is  a  grandson  of 
Rev.  Wm.  Bradley,  deceased,  and 
both  of  them  are  faithful  and  inde- 
fatigable workers  in  the  Church. 
She  has  been  for  years  the  organ- 
ist. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


73 


CHURCH. 


SCHELLER  CHURCH, 

At  Scheller,  111.,  was  organized  by 
Revs.  G.  A.  Gordon,  J.  C.  Gilli- 
land  and  B.  H.  Keller,  May  3Oth, 
1897,  with  30  members.  Rev.  T. 
O.  McMinn  was  its  first  pastor, 


and  continued  to  serve  the  church 
for  three  years.  The  present  pas- 
tor is  Rev.  A.  J.  Cochran.  They 
have  a  comfortable  house  of  wor- 
ship, and  some  of  the  members 
were  self-sacrificing  and  faithful 
in  its  erection. 


74 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


JOHN  R.  WEEDON. 


GEO.  WM.  HAI,!,. 


JOHN  R.  WEEDON, 

Son  of  Joe  S.  and  Cornelia  (Cul- 
ley)  Weedon,  born  September 
I2th,  1871,  in  Randolph  Co.,  111., 
and  grew  to  manhood  at  Campbell 
Hill,  111.  Converted  and  joined  the 
Free  Baptist  Church  at  Campbell 
Hill,  111.  ..'...  Attended 
college  at  Hillsdale,  Mich.  Taught 
school,  but  failing  health  com- 
pelled him  to  go  to  New  Mexico ; 
there  health  was  regained. 


GEO.  WM.  HALL 

Was  born  in  Williamson  Co.,  111., 
March  I4th,  1876;  converted  and 
joined  Union  Free  Baptist  Church 
January  3Oth,  1899,  under  the 
preaching  of  Revs.  T.  O.  and  J.  B. 
McMinn ;  baptized  and  received 
into  full  membership  May  3d, 
1899.  Is  the  clerk  of  the  Makanda 
Quarterly  Meeting  at  the  present 
time,  and  lives  at  Herrin,  111. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


75 


DEACON  JOHN  B.  WILLIAMSON  AND  WIFE,  ALICE- 


DEACON  JNO.  B.  WILLIAM- 
SON AND  WIFE, 

The  only  son  of  Judge  Henry  Wil- 
liamson, was  born  September  8th, 
1855,  at  Sato,  and  raised  in  Jack- 
son county.  111.  Married  Alice  C. 
Coyle  November  22d,  1877,  and 
raised  a  large  family  of  children, 
seven  of  whom  are  still  living. 
United  with  the  Sato  Free  Baptist 
Church  February,  1894,  and  has 
acted  as  clerk  and  deacon  of  the 
church  for  the  past  six  years,  and 


now  resides  in  their  beautiful 
home  on  a  magnificent  farm  near 
Sato,  111. 

ALICE  WILLIAMSON, 

Wife  of  Deacon  Jno.  B.  William- 
son, and  daughter  of  Archy  and 
Mary  Coyle,  born  March  3d,  1861, 
and  united  in  marriage  with  Jno. 
B.  Williamson  November  22d, 
1877.  Was  converted  and  joined 
the  Sato  Free  Baptist  Church 
February,  1894,  where  she  still 
holds  her  membership. 


76 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


REV.  JAMES  WESLEY  McKINNEY. 

REV.  JAMES  WESLEY  Mc- 
KINNEY, 

Son  of  Jas.  H.  and  Manerva  J. 
McKinney,  born  March  I3th, 
1873,  near  Carterville,  111.,  and 
converted  in  1887.  Received  a  lib- 
eral education  at  Marion  and  Car- 
bondale,  111.  Was  licensed  to 
preach  at  the  age  of  18,  and  nine 
months  later  he  was  ordained. 
Taught  school  and  preached  con- 
tinuously. Married  March  24th, 
1895,  t°  Agnes  Neilson.  Has 
preached  seven  years.  Received  in- 
to the  Church  143,  baptized  121, 
solemnized  47  marriages,  and 
traveled  6,985  miles,  and  lives  on 
his  farm  in  Williamson  county,  111. 


HARTLEY  A.   McBRIDE. 

HARTLEY  A.  McBRIDE 

\Vas  born  near  Ava,  111.,  August 
nth,  1854.  Received  but  a  limited 
education.  In  1884  went  to  Arkan- 
sas for  a  short  time,  then  back  to 
Ava,  and  in  1885  he  moved  to 
Franklin  Co.,  111.,  and  followed  his 
trade  of  blacksmith.  Married 
Florence  I.  Duncan  March  2d, 
1876;  had  three  children.  WTife 
died  October  2Oth,  1882,  and  was 
again  married  November  28th, 
1886,  to  Martha  E.  Greenwood, 
and  has  five  children.  Was  con- 
verted and  joined  the  Bear  Point 
Free  Baptist  Church  October  24, 
1897;  baptized  the  following 
month.  His  grandmother,  Polly 
Polk,  was  a  cousin  to  President 
James  K.  Polk. 


REV.  HKNRY  S.  GORDON. 


77 


DEACON  A.  J.  BARROW. 

DEACON  A.  J.  BARROW, 

The  son  of  James  and  Catherine 
D.  Barrow,  was  born  in  Jackson 
county,  111.,  March  ist,  1852.  His 
youth  was  spent  upon  his  father's 
farm,  a  part  of  which  he  now  re- 
sides upon.  Attended  the  district 
school ;  married  Nancy  A.  Mus- 
grave  August  29th,  1872 ;  joined 
the  United  Baptist  Church  April, 
1876;  was  married  again  to  Miss 
Mary  L.  Merrell  September  ist, 
1885:  united  with  the  Free  Bap- 
tist Church  at  Campbell  Hill  Jan- 
uary. 1889,  and  was  elected  on  the 


MARY  L    BARROW. 


Board  of  Deacons  in  June,  1890, 
and  still  resides  on  his  farm  near 
Campbell  Hill,  111. 


MARY  L.  BARROW, 

Daughter  of  Alfred  S.  and  Aman- 
da P.  Merrell,  was  born  near  Belle- 
ville, 111.,  December  28th,  1867; 
removed  with  her  parents  to  Jas- 
per county,  Mo.,  in  1868.  Then  to 
Randolph  county,  111.,  in  1874. 
Married  A.  J.  Barrow  in  1885,  and 
united  with  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  at  Campbell  Hill,  111.,  in 
January, 


78 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


DEACON  ARCHIBALD  ROBISON  AND  WIFE. 


DEACON  ARCHIBALD  ROBI- 
SON, 

Born  January  6th,  1838,  near 
Steelesville,  111.,  joined  the  Bap- 
tist Church  in  1866.  Married  to 
Sarah  I.  Simons  in  1867.  In  1896 
he  united  with  the  Free  Baptist 
Church  in  Murphysboro,  111.,  of 
which  he  is  a  faithful  member  and 
one  of  its  deacons. 


SARAH  I.  ROBISON, 

Wife  of  Deacon  A.  Robison,  born 
in  Wright  Co.,  Mo.,  in  1845, 
united  with  the  Baptist  Church  in 

1866.  Married  at     Steeleville  in 

1867.  Joined     the  Free     Baptist 
Church  in  Murphysboro  in   1896, 
of  which  she  is  a  faithful  member 
and  a  worker    in  the     home  and 
foreign  missionary  work.     , 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


79 


DEACON  JNO.  A.  I,.  SCOTT. 

DEACON  JNO.  A.   L.   SCOTT, 

Born  March  :6th,  1862,  in  Wayne 
Co.,  111.,  and  was  "born  again"  Oc- 
tober 1 5th,  1889,  and  united  with 
the  Free  Baptist  Church  Novem- 
ber 1 7th,  1889,  and  at  once  chosen 
deacon.  He  served  in  various  ca- 
pacities in  the  church,  and  promi- 
nent in  every  forward  movement 
of  the  denomination.  Of  modest 
and  quiet  manner,  yet  strictly  busi- 
ness-like. For  five  years  he  has 
been  president  of  the  Wayne  Co. 
Sunday  school  Association,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  State  Execu- 
tive Committee  and  County  and 


MARTHA  SCOTT. 

District  chairman  of  the  Prohibi- 
tion party,  and  was  a  candidate  for 
the  State  Legislature  in  the  last 
election.  He  was  married  to  Miss 
Martha  Vaughn  August  I7th, 


MARTHA  SCOTT, 

Wife  of  Deacon  Jno.  A.  L.  Scott. 
Her  maidenname  was  Vaughn,  and 
they  were  married  August  i/th, 
1884,  and  have  lived  in  the  little 
village  of  Orchardville,  in  Wayne 
Co.,  111.,  ever  since,  where  their 
lives  and  work  have  been  a  bless- 
ing to  the  Free  Baptist  Church  at 
that  place. 


80 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


DEACON  THOS. 


MARY  ANN  LEMING. 


DEACON  THOS.  LEMING 

Was  born  in  Indiana  in  1830;  came 
to  Illinois  in  1836;  married  Mary 
Ann  Heard  in  1851  ;  raised  a  family 
of  four  girls  and  three  boys;  con- 
verted in  1878  under  the  preaching 
of  Rev.  G.  A.  Gordon  at  Percy,  111. 
Has  proven  himself  a  true,  devoted 
Christian,  and  a  strong  advocate 
of  legal  prohibition.  Now  lives  in 
Willisville,  111.,  and  is  one  of  the 


deacons  of  the  Free  Baptist  Church 
there. 


MARY  ANN  LEMING, 

Wife  of  Deacon  Thos.  Leming, 
was  born  in  1828;  converted  under 
the  preaching  of  Rev.  Wm.  Bradley 
during  the  Civil  War  in  1862 ;  join- 
ed the  Looney  Springs  General 
Baptist  Church.  Since  has  united 
with  the  Free  Baptist  Church  at 
Willisville,  111. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


81 


DEACON  H.  D.  SANDERS. 


MARY  E.  SANDERS. 


DEACON  H.  D.  SANDERS, 

Born  October  26th,  1856,  in  Wil- 
liamson Co.,  111.  His  parents  were 
devoted  Christians.  He  was  mar- 
ried August  loth,  1879,  to  Mary 
E.  Lipsey.  Converted  in  a  meet- 
ing held  by  Rev.  Chas.  Hayes  in 
1892,  and  united  with  the  Chris- 
tian Church,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1895  he  joined  Union  Hall  Free 
Baptist  Church,  and  was  elected 
one  of  its  deacons  soon  after.  Now 
lives  on  his  farm  near  Christo- 
pher, 111. 


MARY  E.  SANDERS, 

Wife  of  Deacon  H.  D.  Sanders, 
born  July  9th,  1859,  at  Frank- 
fort, 111.  Was  converted  in  1892 
under  the  preaching  of  Rev.  Ghas. 
Hayes,  and  with  her  husband  unit- 
ed with  the  Free  Baptist  Church 
in  1895.  She  was  the  mother  of  six 
children,  one  boy  and  two  girls 
living.  She  is  a  kind  and  devoted 
wife  and  mother. 


82 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


CHESTER  CHURCH. 


REV.   HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


83 


CHESTER  FREE     BAPTIST 
CHURCH. 

July,  1895,  Revs.  J.  L.  and  W. 
E.  Meads.  J.  H.  Bagwill  and  G. 
A.  Gordon  began  a  series  of  tent 
meetings,  which  resulted  in  the  or- 
ganization, August  2d,  of  a  church 
with  6  members,  as  follows :  A.  G. 
Gordon,  Ella  Short,  Mary  J. 
Hood,  Mrs.  Wm.  Henson,  Mrs. 
Hugh  Crain  and  Mrs.  Geo.  Ham- 
met.  Rev.  Kate  Veach  Haines 
early  took  the  place  of  Bro.  Gor- 
don on  the  staff  of  workers.  Soon 
proceeded  to  build  a  commodious 
brick  church  house,  and  a  seven- 


room  parsonage.  Membership 
now  of  100.  The  following  have 
served  as  pastors :  G.  A.  Gordon, 
J.  C.  Daisey,  J.  H.  Bagwill,  G.  P. 
McBride  and  J.  L.  Meads,  the 
present  pastor.  Officers  are  A.  G. 
Gordon,  H.  H.  Wilkinson  and 
Wm.  Hecht,  trustees;  H.  H.  Wil- 
kinson and  Geo.  Azlyn,  deacons ; 
Cora  Miller,  Clerk,  and  A.  G.  Gor- 
don, treasurer.  Sustains  a  Sabbath 
school,  Y.  P.  society,  Woman's 
Missionary  society  and  a  Mite  so- 
ciety. The  success  of  this  church 
is  mainly  due  to  the  service  and 
sacrifice  of  A.  G.  Gordon  and  the 
untiring  efforts  of  Bro.  J.  H.  Bag- 
will  while  pastor  of  it. 


84 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


DEACON  JAS.  L,.  BIBY. 


MARY  J.  BIBY. 


DEACON  JAS.  L.  BIBY, 

Born  March  2d,  1846,  in  Franklin 
county,  111.  Converted  November 
I2th,  1890;  baptized  and  united 
with  Union  Hall  church ;  was  dea- 
con and  trustee,  which  offices  he 
held  until  his  death,  March  3Oth, 
1893.  Was  united  in  marriage  to 
Mary  J.  Harris  in  1875. 


MARY  JANE  BIBY, 

Born     November    nth,      1851,  in 
Franklin     Co.,   111.,  and     was  the 


daughter  of  Joseph  and  Nancy 
Harris.  Was  converted  at  about 
15  years  of  age;  joined  the  United 
Brethren  in  Franklin  county,  and 
remained  with  them  until  the  or- 
ganization of  Union  Hall  Free 
Baptist  Church,  when  she  joined 
it.  She  was  married  to  Jas.  L. 
Biby  in  1875.  He  died  in  1883,  and 
she  married  again  to  F.  M.  Biby 
May  5th,  1885,  and  died  August 
28th,  1899.  Lived  near  Christo- 
pher, 111. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


85 


DEACON  MOSES  HARRIS. 


NANCY  S.  HARRIS, 

WIFE  OF  DEACON  MOSES  HARRIS. 


DEACON  MOSES    HARRIS, 

Of  Tamaroa,  111.,  born  in  1844; 
married  August  8th,  1861,  to 
Mary  S.  French,  has  five  children 
living.  Joined  the  army  in  1864; 
served  until  1865.  Converted  un- 
der the  ministry  of  Rev.  J.  C. 
Gilliland  in  1875,  and  joined  the 
Free  Baptist  Church.  Is  now  one 
of  the  Deacons  and  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Tamaroa 


church,  at  which  town  he  still  re- 
sides. 


NANCY  S.  HARRIS, 

Wife  of  Deacon  M.  Harris,  born 
in  1844,  in  Perry  county,  111.  Con- 
verted in  1868,  and  joined  the 
Free  Baptist  Church  in  1875,  and 
is  now  with  her  husband,  and  a 
member  of  Tamaroa  church. 


86 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


DEACON  JOHN  W.  JOHNSON. 


NORA  A.  JOHNSON. 


DEACON  JOHN  W.  JOHN- 
SON, 

Born  January  i6th,  1846,  Jackson 
Co.,  Tenn.  Moved  to  Missouri  in 
1854;  to  Perry  Co.,  111.,  in  1861. 
Entered  Civil  War  February  9th, 

1864.  Married  Nora  A.  Cleary  in 

1865.  Was    converted   and   joined 
the  Free  Baptist  Church  at  Union 
Hall  in  1893.  Elected  on  the  Board 
of  Deacons     and  still     serves  his 
Church  as  such.  Lives  near  Chris- 
topher, 111. 


NORA  A.  JOHNSON, 

Born  March  29th,  1841,  in  Wil- 
liamson Co.,  111.  Mother  died  and 
she  lived  with  her  aunt  in  Perry 
Co. ;  later  removed  to  Franklin 
Co.  Converted  and  became  a 
member  of  Union  Hall  Free  Bap- 
tist Church  at  Christopher,  111.,  in 
1892.  United  in  marriage  to  Jno. 
W.  Johnson  in  1865,  and  still  re- 
sides on  their  farm  near  Christo- 
pher, 111. 


RKV.  HENRY  S.   GORDON. 


87 


WILBURN  CAMPBELL. 


MANERVA  CAMPBELL. 


WILBURN  CAMPBELL, 

Born  May  4th,  1839,  in  Franklin 
Co.,  111.  Was  converted  and  united 
with  the  Free  Baptist  Church 
November  I2th,  1890;  was  elected 
clerk  of  the  church  and  continued 
to  be  ever  since.  Married  Mary  E. 
Hogue  September  ist,  1864;  has 
10  children.  She  died  and  he  again 
married,  this  time  to  Manerva 
Howell,  November  25th,  1886,  and 
lives  near  Christopher,  111. 


MANERVA  CAMPBELL, 

Wife  of  Wilburn  Campbell,  born 
December  25th,  1838,  in  William- 
son Co.,  111.  Converted  in  1883  and 
joined  the  Christian  Church,  and 
continued  in  that  Church  until 
November  i2th,  1890,  when  she 
united  with  the  Free  Baptists  at 
Union  Hall.  Daughter  of  David 
and  Sarah  Robison.  Married  Jas- 
per Howell  in  1856.  Mother  of  13 
children.  Lastly  to  Wilburn 
Campbell,  with  whom  she  still 
lives  on  their  farm,  Christopher, 
111. 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


WM.  CARTER  AND  WIPE,  MARGARET. 


WM.  CARTER, 

Son  of  Wm.  Carter,  born  July  22d, 
1820,  in  East  Tennessee.  Came  to 
St.  Clair  Co.,  111.,  in  1834,  and  to 
the  vicinity  of  Campbell  Hill,  111., 
1840.  About  this  time  he  married 
Mary  Loy.  They  had  nine  chil- 
dren. His  wife  died  May  2d,  1862, 
and  he  married  Vitulia  Canaday. 
She  died  October  3d,  1863,  and  he 
married  Mary  Moore,  by  whom 
he  had  three  children.  She  died 
October  6th,  1871,  and  he  married 
Martha  Reese.  She  died  Septem- 
ber 22d,  1895,  and  he  then  married 
Margaret  Shaw  July  23d,  1896,  who 
survives  him.  He  with  his  first  wife 


joined  the  Looney  Springs  church 
July  3Oth,  1850,  and  remained  a 
member  of  the  church  to  the  date 
of  his  death,  February  28th,  1898. 


MARGARET  CARTER, 

Widow  of  Wm.  Carter  and  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  Loy,  was  united  in 
marriage  with  David  Darrough,  by 
whom  she  had  three  children.  Af- 
ter his  death  she  married  Daniel 
Shaw.  He  died  and  on  July  23d, 
1896,  she  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Wm.  Carter,  and  for  many 
years  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church. 


REV.   HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


89 


ROBERT  SOPER. 


MRS.  MOSES  JONES. 


ROBERT  SOPER, 

Son  of  Andy  and  Polly  Soper, 
born  in  1822.  Joined  Free  Baptist 
Church  under  the  preaching  of 
Rev.  H.  S.  Gordon  at  Percy,  111. 
Married  to  Parthena  Holt,  and 
died  in  1886,  leaving  four  children. 


MRS.  MOSES  JONES, 

Born  January  loth,  1844,  daugh- 
ter of  G.  W.  Eubanks.  Was  con- 
verted and  united  with  McGlasson 
church  under  Rev.  J.  W.  McMil- 
lan's preaching  in  1895.  Married 
in  1862,  and  is  the  mother  of 
seven  children. 


90 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OF 


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REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


91 


REV.  JAMES  F.  KIRK. 


EMANUEL  STEELE. 


REV.  JAS.  F.  KIRK, 

Son  of  Ulissns  and  Martha  J. 
Kirk,  born  in  Benton  county, 
Tenn.,  January  I5th,  1843,  pro- 
fessed faith  in  Christ  in  1873,  join- 
ed the  Free  Will  Baptist  Church 
in  Williamson  Co.,  111. :  ordained 
in  1 88 1,  and  has  clone  pastoral 
work  every  year  up  to  date.  Mar- 
ried Nancy  A.  Spirs  August  ist, 
1869.  Married  second  wife,  Mar- 
tha Jones,  January  I4th,  1880,  and 
now  resides  at  Crainville,  111.,  and 
is  still  in  the  pastoral  work. 


Only  son  of  James  C.  and  Serena 
Steele,  born  in  1847  at  Steeleville, 
111.  Converted  in  1878,  and  united 
with  the  Missionary  Baptist 
Church  at  Steeleville,  111.,  and  in 

1897  joined  the  Hickory  Grove 
Free  Baptist  Church  near  Chris- 
topher, 111.,  where  he  still  holds 
his  membership.  He  was  united  in 
matrimony  to  Saraphine  Thomas, 
and  they  had  one  son,  Ottis,  and 
she  died.  He  now  resides  with  his 
sister  in  Franklin  Co.,  111.  Was  for 
a  time  clerk  of  the  Church ;  is  now 
its  treasurer. 


92 


LIFE  AND  LABORS  OP 


DEACON  LEVI  A.  JONES. 

DEACON  LEVI  A.  JONES, 

Was  born  in  Indiana  in  1826.  Came 
to  Williamson  county,  111.,  in  1841. 
Married  Lydia  Moore,  who  dying 
left  him  with  nine  children.  In  1863 
he  married  Hester  J.  Odam,  by 
whom  he  had  ten  children.  He  was 
converted  and  joined  the  church, 
but  differed  with  his  brethren  in 
his  religious  views.  In  1870  he 
joined  the  Free  Will  Baptist 
Church  under  Rev.  W.  H.  Blank- 
enship's  preaching  at  Harmony, 
and  became  a  very  devoted  worker, 
always  faithful  to  his  pastor,  true 
to  his  Church,  and  loyal  to  his  de- 
nomination. Died  January  I5th, 
1892.  Revs.  T.  O.  McMinn  and  J. 
L.  Meads  preached  his  funeral. 


HESTER  j.  JONES. 


Truly  may  we  say  of  him,  as  of 
Enoch  of  old :  "He  pleased  God." 


HESTER  J.  JONES, 

Widow  of  Levi  A.  Jones,  born 
May  26th,  1841,  was  converted 
young  and  joined  the  M.  E. 
Church.  Is  the  mother  of  nine 
children.  In  1871  she  united  with 
Harmony  Free  Baptist  Church; 
lived  seven  miles  away,  yet  seldom 
missed  a  church  meeting.  In  1900 
she  went  into  the  organization  of 
a  new  Free  Baptist  church  at 
Spillertown,  111.  Her  pious  life  and 
religious  teachings  won  all  her 
children  for  Christ  and  the 
Church.  She  resides  on  the  old 
homestead  and  is  a  successful 
farmer. 


REV.  HENRY  S.  GORDON. 


93 


RICHARD  W.  JONES. 


RICHARD  W.  JONES, 

Born  in  Lake  Creek,  111.,  Febru- 
ary 1 3th,  1866,  son  of  Levi  and 
Hester  Jones,  attended  the  district 
schools,  gained  a  fair  education 
and  has  been  a  very  successful 
and  popular  teacher  for  many 
years.  Was  converted  November 


1 5th,  1884,  and  joined  Harmony 
Free  Baptist  Church.  He  is  edi- 
tor of  the  "Progress"  and  has  been 
for  some  years.  Active  in  church 
work,  his  influence  is  largely  felt. 
Married  August,  1897,  to  Miss 
Nannie  Harris,  and  now  resides 
at  Johnson  City,  Williamson  Co., 
111. 


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